Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity
by BregoBeauty
Summary: sequel to Newfound Clarity - With a new enemy in town, can Jackson and Lisa's budding romance survive past secrets? And what about Lisa's own secrets? Real life is never easy - especially not for Jackson Rippner and Lisa Reisert. JxL.
1. Prologue: Can Barely Look At You

**Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity **

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or Jackson and Lisa.

**Summary:** (Sequel to _Newfound Clarity_) A shadowy woman is causing trouble for Jackson and Lisa as well as their friends, Kat and Aidan. Will their enemy drive them apart or bring them together? And what about when Lisa learns a devastating fact or two about herself and Jackson's past… what will she do?

**Prologue**

"_You've been the only thing that's right/In all I've done/And I can barely look at you..." ~ __**Run**__ by Snow Patrol_

_Three weeks later_

"Poison?" Jackson Rippner asked, frowning as he held a cell phone to his year.

On the other end, Aidan Murphy, a good friend and co-worker, said, "It was a strange cocktail of drugs. They think one of the nurses might have done it. An angel of mercy type…"

"Maybe, but tetraodontoxin? That stuff's not easy to get."

"I know, but there's no indication that it's more than a random act. Besides, she's been safe since we left that place."

"Keep your eyes open, Murphy. I have a feeling that this isn't over yet."

Little did Jackson Rippner know how right he was.

* * *

_Two weeks ago_

Fiona Larsen opened the newspaper to scan the obituaries section. Once again, there was no mention of Katherine Murphy. She chucked that section to the side in favor of the front page. As she unfolded it, a color picture popped into view.

In it, a woman in a deep blue gown stood beside a man in a well-cut tuxedo. The woman in the picture should be dead.

The article's headline proclaimed the opposite: **Heiress Wakes in Morgue.**

Fiona scanned the article. _You should be dead, you bitch…_

_Heiress Katherine Robertson died in a hospital following injuries sustained in a car accident. She was comatose for several weeks before being pronounced brain dead. However, Robertson came to in the morgue prior to her autopsy._

_She is expected to make a full-recovery. It is still unknown what caused Ms. Robertson to collapse and be pronounced dead._

_Her husband, Aidan Murphy, is grateful for the outpouring of support from the community. In a brief statement, he said—_

Fiona couldn't read anymore. She stuck the knife she'd used to cut up an orange into Katherine's heart.

How the hell could she have survived? Her brains should be like scrambled eyes after the injections. No one should have survived that. Not without permanent damage.

It was time to change tactics. Fiona Larsen would have to get her manicured nails dirty. And she knew just who to call for help.

**Author's Notes:**

We'll learn more about Fiona and her connection to the story in the next chapter.


	2. Chapter One: Hide the Scars

**Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye._ All original characters are fictional and this story is not meant to depict any real life event or person.

**Chapter One**

"_Grab a brush and put on a little makeup/You wanted to/Hide the scars to fade away the shakeup…" ~ __**Chop Suey**__ by System of a Down_

Her eyes fell on her friend's left hand. Despite all the medical procedures done to repair her broken body, Katherine Murphy refused to have a prosthetic finger put on. She would never again wear her wedding ring on her ring finger.

Not that she seemed to mind it. Katherine was still alive, after all.

Lisa Reisert smiled at her best friend. In an attempt to protect Lisa, Katherine ended up kidnapped, tortured, then shot and left for dead in a ditch. Her body healed while she was comatose, but it was still too early to know the full effects of the poison found in her bloodstream by a morgue attendant who saved her life.

"Don't you ever go home?" Kat asked, one eye open a crack.

"Of course I do."

"'Cause every time I turn around you're here. You're not avoiding someone are you?"

Lisa took a deep breath. "Of course not."

"Then why are you still here?"

Sometimes Lisa wished her only friend wasn't so perceptive. It was true that she was avoiding her new home. It wasn't just because Jackson was there—but because the dynamic of their relationship had changed tremendously since Kat woke up.

One of the first things Katherine told her was that Jackson loved her. He'd apparently loved her long before they moved in together. Long before they'd ever even made love.

But was it really love? Could a killer truly love another human? Could she ever completely trust him?

Lisa wasn't sure she even wanted to find out. The months they spent together were wonderful and she didn't want to lose that, but at the same time, she wasn't exactly ready to face the outside world with the ex-killer.

Not to mention her family. Her dad still didn't know exactly what happened to her. She sent him letters now and then and left vague messages on his machine, but they weren't in frequent contact. Not since Jackson Rippner reappeared in her life.

She knew that she should call her father more often, but a part of her didn't want him to know about Jackson. She also didn't want to risk anyone tracing Jackson through her. They both still had enemies despite bringing down the man threatening her life.

Right now, her main concern was for her friend.

Sure, Kat was a fighter. She'd proven that over and over again. But being a fighter didn't mean life was easy or that Kat would survive. In fact, it made it hard to predict.

"Jackson had some paperwork to do. I didn't feel like sitting around the house."

"You're lying to me," Kat said with a confident air. "What's really going on?"

"Nothing."

Ice-blue eyes, much like Jackson's, zeroed in on Lisa. "Let's try this again. Why are you tip-toeing around Jack? Did he hit you?"

"No, it's not—it's not that."

"Then what?"

She shrugged. "I don't know if we have a future together. I know he cares about me, but… he's—we're not Aidan and you. I trust him, but not the same way."

Kat laughed. "That's the stupidest excuse I've heard. Listen, Lisa, Aidan and I aren't perfect. I married a con man with a long record. And his family is insane."

"You never said anything."

"I don't tell everyone I meet that my mother-in-law tried to drown me or that my father-in-law is a sadistic psychopath."

"Are you serious?"

Her friend narrowed her eyes. "Would I joke about something like that?"

"Well, yeah."

"Trust me. I'm not."

"So what happened?" Lisa asked, perched on the edge of her chair. Kat and Aidan always seemed to have their lives together in perfect order. The idea of loving couple actually having problems—especially with their families—made them more normal.

Hell, she didn't even know if Jack had family, let alone what they would think of her. She knew her father would gladly pull the trigger on Jack given half a chance. He would never approve of her choice.

Katherine Murphy sighed, fiddling with the fringe on her blanket. "Aidan isn't an only child. He's one of five kids—most of them half-siblings. He has two older half-brothers who enjoyed making his life miserable. He did his best to protect his young brother and half-sister. But he couldn't. His mother, Elektra, wouldn't let him.

"She encouraged her older sons to beat up on Aidan. He got beat so badly one time that he ended up in an ally with amnesia. His memories are still slowly returning. When we met, he didn't even know his name."

Lisa frowned. "So his name's not Aidan Murphy? What is it?"

"Andrew DeFlair was the name he went by, however, his father's last name is Despotis. Elektra never married him—he was just a long-term affair. Her husband, Patrick DeFlair, never seemed to notice or care."

"I think Aidan suits him better," Lisa decided. "It's more laidback and friendly, like him."

Katherine smiled. "That's what I think. Anyways, his bitch of a mother found him by accident. Then she connected the dots between the two of us. It turns out, despite how she treated him, he was her favorite son. Her beloved Andrew. I didn't fit the idea of a perfect wife for him. I was Jim's daughter. I wasn't worthy in her eyes."

"Did Aidan tell her off?"

Her best friend shook her head. "Aidan didn't get the chance. She trapped me through a fake job. I was alone. All Aidan knew was that I'd disappeared. They found a body they thought was me. But it wasn't until several days later that his mother bound my wrists and ankles before throwing me overboard."

Lisa's jaw fell open in shock. "I thought you couldn't swim."

"I can't. I don't even get in the shallow end of pools."

"But… you're alive."

"I got lucky. Aidan was hunting my kidnapper and happened to see them toss me. He went in after me. He told his mother if she came near me again, he'd kill her."

"Has she?"

"Not yet. But if I never see Elektra again, it'll be too soon for me."

Lisa nodded. She'd known Katherine had a complicated past. Early on, she'd hinted that she'd been raped once upon a time. Lisa didn't know specifics—she didn't need to.

"And your father-in-law?"

Kat closed her eyes. "Loki Despotis. Last I heard, he was still abducting and killing women. I haven't met him yet and I don't want to."

"That's weird… Aidan's so… normal."

"I know, right?" Kat asked with a smile. "It must skip a generation or two."

* * *

The following morning, he kissed his sleeping partner and slipped out of the warm covers to make their breakfast. She barely stirred, instead choosing to stay buried underneath the heavy comforter. He couldn't blame her—it was bitterly cold in their home.

Beside the bed, a black dog growled. Jackson Rippner narrowed his ice-blue eyes and growled back at the rescue mutt.

Damien flashed sharp whitish teeth at him.

"Bite me, mutt, and it'll be the last thing you do."

The two males glared at each other for a moment before a cell phone trilled on the top of a dresser. Jackson crossed to it in two quick steps, wincing as it rang. He took a quick look at his lover, heard her grumble, and retreated downstairs to the kitchen with his cell.

He answered it with a gruff, "Rippner."

"Long time, no speak. How's life treating you, Jackie boy?"

He immediately froze. What was _she_ doing, calling him at home?

**Author's Notes:**

Ooooh, sneaky, sneaky! The next chapter is all Fiona. I thought it would be fun to add some back story for Kat and Aidan this time around since it's his and Jackson's past that comes back to bite them. Plus, Kat's been an enigma far too long.

Enjoy!

I'll catch up with my review responses over Thanksgiving. ;)


	3. Chapter Two: Enraged By Empty Beds

**Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_.

**Chapter Two**

"_You left me hanging from a thread we once swung from together/I lick my wounds but I can never see them getting better/Something's gotta change/Things cannot stay the same/Her hair was pressed against her face, her eyes were red with anger/Enraged by things unsaid and empty beds and bad behavior… " ~ __**Goodnight, Goodnight**__ by Maroon 5 _

"How the hell did you get this number?" Jackson growled. This was one person from his past better off left in the past. He didn't miss her one bit.

"You forgot about me already? And all the nights we shared…"

He remembered alright. Bloody Irish-born temptress. She didn't have flaming red hair, no, no, Fiona Larsen's hair was jet black, a sharp contrast to her green eyes. She had a toned, tight body with a few tattoos. And God, she knew more than a hooker or call girl when it came to the bedroom.

Jackson cleared his throat. "Fiona, kill anyone interesting lately?"

She laughed, a bell-like sound, on the other end. "Oh, Jackie, where have you been? I'm retired."

It was his turn to snort. "You? Retire?"

The Irish-born assassin was a cold-blooded killer. In the past, he'd designed the jobs after target selection, and she'd carried out the kills while he managed the unwitting "assistants". She was the most vicious, blood-thirsty woman he'd ever met until he hooked up with Lisa Reisert.

"Well, sort of. You see, I have a sensitive matter I need taken care of. I can't be seen because of my involvement. You understand, don't you?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

She paused, taking a deep breath. "Remember my boyfriend? The one I told you about that left me? I found him."

"And?"

"He's married. He wants to be with me, but he needs me to take care of his wife first. The only problem is that she's rich. I can't be seen near him or her without the blame falling back on him. So I thought of you… and your ability to make accidents happen."

"I don't do that anymore," he insisted, glancing toward the stairs. He hoped Lisa already went back to sleep. She'd bitch him out for talking business in their kitchen.

"Too bad. The commission would be a few hundred grand… just spare change to my soon-to-be husband…"

That was a decent amount of money for a routine hit. Hell, even for an accidental hit, that was a good chunk of change. Lisa didn't have to know, right?

"Who's the target?"

"Great, I knew I could count on you, Jackie!"

He rolled his eyes. He always hated cutesy nicknames. He only let Lisa get away with calling him Jack because he called her Leese. Their hated nicknames were pet names when they used them.

"Who is the target, Fi? I don't have time for games."

"Oh, just some bitch named Katherine…"

Jackson almost dropped his phone. "What?"

"Katherine. First name, Katherine. Last name… Murphy. Or is it Robertson? I'm not sure…"

"You mean Katherine Robertson-Murphy? Wasn't she just in the news?" he tried to say casually. He didn't want to expose his personal connection if he could help it.

"Actually, yeah, she was. So…."

"So what?"

"Are you going to take the job?"

"Too damn risky," he said, hanging up on the voice from his past.

_Kill Kat? No way in hell._

* * *

Fiona Larsen sat outside the Murphy home. She glared at the phone in disgust. Jackson Rippner had wimped out on her. Well, there was a first time for everything.

Especially since his lover often visited the Murphy home alone. Could Aidan have started sleeping with his wife's friend? If so, why didn't Jackson want to help?

She couldn't imagine Aidan cheating on his wife with her friend. But then again, he had gone out for dinner and never returned, leaving her naked and alone in their bed. She never would have thought he was an adulterer back then.

Yet he was. They'd been engaged when he ran off and married Katherine without even a good-bye.

Part of her wanted to kill him, but another, more animalistic part of her wanted him back. Aidan belonged to her. Sure, Dillon O' Connor, her boss and part-time fling, gave her attention and presents. But he wasn't Aidan.

Fiona would get her man back. No matter what.

* * *

Lisa Reisert knocked at the double front door of her best friends' home. After a fire-bombing, meant to kill her and her lover, the Murphys´ previous home burned to the ground. During the fire, Lisa and Jackson were trapped in an underground passageway until Aidan managed to free them through a locked cellar door.

The same evening their home burned down, Katherine fought with her husband. Their fight ended with the couple sleeping in different beds for the first time in years. Because of the fire, Katherine fell for trap that ended with her lying dead in a ditch—except she wasn't really dead.

It took more than bullets to kill Katherine Murphy. The slight redhead had more spirit and spunk than most people and she was still only in her twenties. When the bank where the two women worked at was robbed, Katherine was tortured and molested in the vault. A few months later, the young woman was lying in a coma.

Now, after surviving a poisoning attempt, Katherine was at home—in her new, improved home—and out of her coma. She could walk as well, with a slight limp from one of her numerous injuries. Not that it stopped the self-defense instructor from wearing high heels.

Her friend had a shoe fetish. Lisa had seen her closet before—it resembled a well-stock shoe store. Most of her shoes had at least a two-inch heel. That was considered low for Kat. She routinely went shopping at the mall or even the grocery store in four-inch stilettos. She even owned a few modified pairs of boots that concealed a set of knives in the sides.

Aidan often joked that his wife carried more weapons than most army officers. He once confessed that even during sex, Kat kept more than one weapon close at hand. Her clothing occasionally had extensive tailoring that provided her with hiding places.

Of course, being a petite woman, there wasn't exactly a lot of places for Katherine to hide, well, anything. Not that it stopped her. Lisa had long ago learned to except the eccentricities that came with her best friend.

"It's open," Lisa whispered, frowning.

The Murphys were fastidious about locked their doors. Even car doors were locked immediately once they climbed inside a vehicle or out of one. They would never leave their front door unlocked.

Her lover slipped ahead of her. "Get back in the car, Leese."

"Not on your life!" she snapped. "Kat—"

"She can take care of herself. Get back in the car and phone it in."

"No! I'm perfectly—"

"Get in the car, Leese. I'm not gonna ask you again."

* * *

Green eyes met steely blue. Both of them were stubborn and pig-headed to the very core. Neither of them would win this battle of wills. It would only upset them both and led to sulking later. Of course, she might very well sic her dog, Damien, a black mutt with an innate dislike of Jackson, on her lover once they returned home.

Jackson would never dream of hurting Damien. He hated "that damn dog", but he loved her too much to kill her pet. She couldn't say the same for her best friend. Jackson and Kat's relationship was complicated to say the least.

Kat was used as bait to draw Jackson in. His old boss went after the wrong woman and quickly switched targets. At the same time, he reeled Lisa in with promises of freeing Katherine. Jackson was forced to abandon a good friend—and the daughter of an even older friend and co-worker and sometimes boss—to save a woman he once tried to kill.

He knew Katherine as Lynn Carter or Lynn Robertson, the daughter of Jim Robertson, a multi-millionaire technological magnate. Jim and Jack worked on several projects together in the past. In fact, it was Jim who nursed Jackson back to health after his first encounter with Lisa.

Lynn became a friend during his recovery. At the same time, he began to care for her like a brother cares for his sister.

The brother-sister dynamic stuck, surprising both Kat's husband and Lisa. It was a pleasant surprise of sorts, especially when he admitted his feelings at Kat's bedside, moments before they turned off the life support machines.

That dynamic kept them in close touch after her return to life. Lisa and Jackson visited almost every day while Aidan was at work and the two couples had dinner together at least once a week.

Which was why, in the middle of the day, they stepped through the unlocked front door in search of their best friend.

Neither Jackson nor Lisa expected the bloody scene that awaited them.

**Author's Notes:**

Now you finally got a good look at Fiona. Scary little thing, isn't she? Bits of her personality, not her looks, are based on Fiona from the TV show _Burn Notice_, but they're not the same person. My Fiona looks differently and has a different background and is younger than her kick ass counterpart.

Review catch-up!

(_Newfound Clarity)_

Lily – Me too! I love them. They're my favorite original characters.


	4. Chapter Three: Wishing One More Time

**Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_.

**Chapter Three**

"_The room was silent as we all tried so hard to remember/The way it feels to be alive/The day that he first met her…You make me think of someone wonderful, but I can't place her/I wake up every morning wishing one more time to face her/Something's gotta change… " ~ __**Goodnight, Goodnight**__ by Maroon 5 _

_An hour earlier…_

Fiona waited and watched before making her move. Once Aidan drove off, leaving the house empty, she slipped inside.

Despite the fire that destroyed his old home, Fiona found artifacts of the Murphys' married life—photographs of them as a couple, in wedding garb, on vacation, various kick-knacks, and even a luxurious set of knives.

Each knife had the date of their wedding and their initials—A.K.M. for her lover and K.L.R. for his wife—etched on the handles.

She took one in her hand, testing the sharpness of the blade against her fingertips. A trickle of red dotted her finger. She grinned. "Just like old times," she whispered.

Fiona climbed the stairs to the second floor, still handling the kitchen knife. She went straight into the master suite, her shoes soundless on the carpeting.

She stopped short in the doorway. There was a figure laying a bed amidst black and grey covers. Dark red hair fanned out against a pale blue pillowcase. She knew the bedroom décor was Aidan's personal tastes—he always liked the darker colors.

Fiona clutched the knife tighter, focusing on her target. She'd forgotten about the bitch Katherine.

"Homewrecker!" she snarled.

The woman in the bed stirred at the sound of Fi's voice.

She struck, slashing at the woman's throat. This slut stood between her and her lover. It was her job to destroy this other woman—to return their relationship from a threesome to a twosome. Fiona was doing this for her and Aidan.

Katherine Murphy didn't stand a chance.

_

* * *

_

Forty-five minutes before…

Aidan Murphy lay awake in his bed, his wife curled up on her side beside him.

For once, being alone with Katherine didn't soothe him. Instead it made him wonder just who was trying to kill her. Sure, they both had their share of enemies, but who would use a designer poison to kill a comatose and defenseless woman?

Who would want his wife gone that badly?

No one, except for him, stood to benefit from her death.

He didn't want her dead. He never had. But one person in particular stood out in his mind. His own deceptive and sadistic mother.

"_This was always about the company, wasn't it? It was never about you, right?"_

_Her jaw hung open, speechless. "Andrew, what are you trying to say? I love you—"_

_"Not enough to leave me alone, apparently. Did it ever occur to you that I might have disappeared for a reason?"_

_"A reason? No, no you would never leave me, Andrew. You are my son. You know your duty to me, to our family, to the company—"_

_"Fuck the company," Aidan growled, glaring across the table at her, his usually warm hazel eyes resembling dirt after a winter freeze._

_"Andrew, how dare you—"_

_"And fuck you, Elektra. I'm sick of playing your games. I won't be your pawn anymore. The game is over. I'm leaving and I want you to leave Katherine alone. If you hurt one hair on her head again—I will kill you." _

_"Why not right now? If you hate me so much, Andrew, why are you letting me live?"_

_"Because I don't want to run your company."_

His showdown with his mother forced her into the background. However, he always knew she'd return sooner or later to finish his wife.

Aidan kissed her, playing with a piece of her long curly hair. She stirred, blue eyes trying to focus on him.

"What?" she grumbled.

"Nothing. Just… enjoying the view…"

"Hmph."

She twisted and turned underneath the covers, curling up a bit. Her head rested on his chest. "Do you have meetings today?"

He nodded. "Yeah. But I think Lisa promised to stop by."

"She's avoiding Jack again, huh?"

"She never stopped," Aidan muttered, kissing his half-asleep wife. "I'd be surprised if they lasted more than a year together."

"Why would you—?"

"They're oil and water, Katy. They're too strong minded for their own good."

She sighed. "I guess…"

"Don't worry, okay? That's my job."

"Stay," Kat whispered, tugging on his sleeve after he returned, completely dressed, from his shower.

"I can't."

"Blow off the meetings. Reschedule."

"Kat—"

"Stay with me, Aidan."

"Another day, okay?" He bent down and kissed her good-bye.

_

* * *

_

Fifteen minutes later…

Blue eyes opened wide—terror showing plain on her face. She knew without asking that this stranger would kill her. She knew she would die in this bed.

Fiona Larsen stabbed at her once again, missing. She growled, her face screwed up something terrible as she slashed once more at Katherine. This time she did hit her mark of sorts.

She faltered, her neck dripping crimson blood onto the sheets. She appeared stunned, giving Fiona the opportunity to finish her kill.

They rolled in the bed, cat-and-mouse, with the blood-slick blade in Fiona's hand, as Katherine struggled to escape. Too bad she never would.

Fiona stabbed her in the side.

She rolled off the bed, landing in a heap on the off-white carpet. Blood pooled around her, sinking into the white fibers. She didn't move or even groan. In fact, she'd barely said a word—she hadn't even asked to know why she had to die. She just defended herself.

Fiona stood over her, breathing heavy from their brief struggle. Despite having the element of surprise, the sleeping woman knew some defense or at least enough to give Fiona a more difficult time.

She moved closer, her eye on the knife imbedded in her side. However, she heard car doors and voices—both too close for comfort.

Fiona slipped through the house, glancing out a front window. Below, a dark-colored automobile sat in the driveway. A well-dressed man helped a woman alight from the parked car. Together, arm-in-arm, they headed toward the front door.

She needed to disappear and fast.

* * *

Lisa waited for Jackson to disappear inside. Instead of retreating to the car, she slipped into the house. She wasn't going to wait for him to give her bad news. She didn't have the patience for that.

She regretted her decision once she made it up to Kat's bedroom.

The first thing she saw was the growing pool of blood soaking the white carpet. Crumpled in the middle was Katherine. A knife stuck out of her best friend's side, covered in bloody fingerprints. The handle was engraved—a wedding present from Katherine's father.

She checked for a pulse. There wasn't one.

"Jack? Jackson?" she screamed, her cream-colored blouse slowly soaking up the red surrounding her and staining the pale silk pink.

* * *

Her lover raced into the room, his own military-grade knife in hand. Upon seeing her, he froze.

"Damnit, Leese… I told you _not _to come in!"

He lowered the knife, his blue eyes taking in the carnage before him. His first thought was for Lisa's safety. A quick glance told him the blood came from someone else, not from his live-in lover. She wasn't physically hurt.

But she still shouldn't be in the house. He'd specifically told her to stay in the car. The damnable woman _never_ listened to him.

"How bad is it?" he asked, kneeling beside her.

"I can't find a pulse…"

"Let me…"

He slowly slipped into her position by Kat's head. He noted the deep laceration across her throat—an attempt at beheading?—and the copious amounts of blood spilled from it.

Jackson felt for a pulse, detecting a faint trickle of blood still flowing. She was almost gone. But he might be able to save her. He reached over and tore a strip of Lisa's stained shirt. She jumped.

"What are you—?"

"Trying to stop the blood flow," he muttered. "We might be able to save her. I need you to get the car. We'll take her to the hospital."

"What about Aidan?"

"I'll call him on the way—after I call the hospital."

**Author's Notes:**

I'll catch up with reviews at the next chapter - which will be this weekend. Soon the focus will go back to mainly Jackson and Lisa, I promise.


	5. Chapter Four: Pay the Price

**Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_—that's Wes Craven, Carl Ellsworth, and DreamWorks Pictures' property. I only own Kat and Aidan.

**Chapter Four**

"_I just pay while you're breaking all the rules…Just give me a pain that I'm used to/I don't need to believe all the dreams you conceive…Close your eyes, pay the price for your paradise…" ~ __**A Pain That I'm Used To**__ by Depeche Mode_

Katherine came to in the hospital. She could feel a pinch in her elbow—most likely her IV port—and tight pressure on her right arm. The blood pressure cuff tightened, forcing her fingers to go numb. She hissed.

"Easy, Katy, easy…" a male voice soothed. It was slick, the way the words rolled off his tongue. It wasn't her husband's slight accent that appeared when he was emotional or agitated. It was the cultured, disciplined, and even tone of her older brother.

"Jack…." she wheezed.

He stroked her messy curls. "I'm here, Katy. I'm here…"

"My throat… fire…"

"You were cut. Someone tried to slit your throat. They stabbed you as well…"

"Pain…" she hissed, her blue eyes closing as another wave hit her. "It hurts…"

"Do you need pain killers?"

She nodded slightly, trying not to tear the stitches in her neck. "Bad…"

"Okay." He stood up, dressed in a sleek suit, as if he were about to leave on a job, not sit in a cramped hospital chair. He didn't even look out of place amidst the floral wallpaper and pastel-colored paint. And the flowers, oh God, the flowers… they were everywhere! "Stay still… I'll get Leese."

"Aidan…"

"Him, too," the lanky man promised, his dark hair filling her view as he slipped around a curtain and into the busy hallway of the hospital.

Once he disappeared from view, Katherine tried to sit up, even though she knew it probably wasn't the best idea. To hell with good ideas. All they ever did was land her in the middle of trouble or in a hospital bed.

Wincing at the pain in her side—she could feel stitches pulling at her skin as she stretched—Kat undid the Velcro blood pressure cuff. Since it just took her blood pressure, she figured she had a few minutes before the alarm went off. She could work quickly.

The main advantage to marrying a former EMT was that she had a basic knowledge of hospitals, monitoring equipment, and most importantly, needles and IVs.

With a gasp, Kat ripped the tape at her elbow, losing a few hairs in the process. Blood flowed from the jarred IV port. Biting her lip, she eased the needle out, letting the fluids continue to leak onto the floor. She knew the IV stand was full of monitors. She'd rather be gone than deal with shutting the bloody machine down.

She left the pulse reader on her left hand as she rummaged for clothes. Sure enough, there was a loose pair of sweat pants tucked underneath the bed along with slip-on sneakers and a zippered pullover.

_Thank you so much, Lisa…_

Only her best friend would enable her escape attempt. Not only would she enable it, she would distract guard dog Jackson and provide her the means for escape. A car key. It looked like Aidan's spare key, which meant he wasn't far away.

To the car she would go. She had to get away from this horrid place before her killer came back.

Her killer. It wasn't a man—she was sure of that much.

But no real words. Kat hadn't thought to ask why she would die. She'd been too busy trying to stay alive. Not that it mattered anymore. She could still breathe. Once again, she narrowly missed death.

She'd lost count of the close calls. This many couldn't possibly normal for a woman in her late twenties. Hell, she wasn't even a cop working in Baltimore City! If her job meant dealing with drug dealers, coke addicts, and fishing bodies out of the Inner Harbor or the Chesapeake Bay on a regular basis, she would be okay with the close calls.

Instead, she was nothing more than a licensed psychologist who moonlighted as a bank teller and a self-defense instructor.

Kat stopped dealing with criminals—despite having written her Master's thesis on sociopathy and psychopathy in the twenty-first century—shortly after her encounter with Jonathan Weiss, an escaped serial killer seeking her father's blood and pain through her own. Because of the torture inflicted during her kidnapping, Kat lost her first child.

It broke her heart. Ever since, she'd avoided her destiny. She was meant to hunt and trap killers. She had the analytical mind and the defense and weapons training. Her father, a sociopath of sorts, saw to that as soon as he welcomed her home.

Her own husband worked as a hired killer. He'd been born into the life much like she was. Except, in Aidan's case, his father was psychopath who had an affair with a black widow who was most likely a psychopath as well. Elektra DeFlair wanted to create a series of puppets using her own flesh and blood.

Her older sons, Frank and Jesse, fathered by her husband, followed closely in her footsteps despite Patrick DeFlair's weak nature.

Then came Aidan—or Andrew as he was named at birth. Andrew DeFlair, son of Loki Despotis, a man whose dealings with the Robertson family came at a high price.

Loki Despotis tortured her family long before Aidan entered the picture. Her younger half-sister, Kimberly, was abducted from their father's watchful eye and brainwashed for close to ten years. Kimmy, a sweet, innocent woman, never truly recovered.

Neither did Katherine. The horror of learning her husband's background continued to haunt her.

Of course, it was her mother-in-law she feared the most. Despotis wanted to control her; break her will down and turn her into a mindless puppet—a "pet". But Elektra… she wanted Kat's blood spilled. The deadly woman told her more than once that she was worthless trash unworthy of her son, her beloved Andrew.

But Elektra lost Andrew the day she allowed Jesse to attack him and leave him for dead in an alley. He stepped out of his family's shadows and became his own person. He became her savior and her lover. She trusted Aidan with her life. She always had.

Kat eased into the sweatpants and shoes. The tricky part was managing the pullover.

She slid out of the too large hospital gown and reached for a fresh bra hidden under the pullover. _Lisa, you are a saint!_

She wiggled into the bra and zipped the pullover shut. With one last glance around, Kat pocketed the car key and removed the pulse reader from her finger.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she slipped around the corner and smacked right into none other than her husband.

"What are you doing up?" he hissed, pulling her back into the room.

"I can't stay here. They'll look here first…"

"Who will? Who attacked you, Katy?"

"I don't know… a woman. It was a woman…"

"Did she say anything?" Aidan coaxed, the worry he felt apparent in his voice. "A name?"

"No," she whispered. "But she had a tattoo. I saw it just before the second stab…"

"Where?"

"Hip… two S's intertwined like… just like…"

He reached forward, catching his wife as her legs buckled. "Like what?" he asked, his voice quivering with either fear or rage—perhaps both.

"Like yours… the one on your shoulder…"

Her normally stoic husband took a step back. "What did she look like?"

* * *

Only two people in the world could possibly have that tattoo on their hip. Being selected by Saints & Sinners, a quiet group of intelligent, yet aimless wanderers who tried to fix what the system couldn't, was an honor.

Aidan had been selected after being rescued from an alleyway by the founder and leader, Dillon O' Connor. He'd renamed himself Aidan Murphy, since the attack that left him unconscious also made his memory fuzzy.

It was there, recovering with the other members of Saints & Sinners, including his good friend Marc's younger computer wizard of a brother, that he met two drop-dead females—one from Russia and the other of Irish decent. Fiona Larsen took to him immediately and the pair received their tattoos—a show of loyalty to the group—together.

He remembered the little hip tat that Fi got. She had several tattoos, whereas his wife had none. Kat wasn't exactly a fan of needles. Fiona was a fan of attention and sex appeal. More than once he suspected her of sleeping with Dillon, but he never approached the subject.

Then, one day, he ended up being hired by Jim Robertson. He turned his back on Saints & Sinners without a second look. There were days where he missed his friends, but for the most part, he loved his new life—a life he shared with Katy.

Katy and Fi were two totally different people. Fi killed for sport, while Kat believed in only going after those who deserved it—in other words, killers. Killers of innocent people.

Which is why his breath caught in his chest when his wife described Fiona.

"Let's go now." He slipped an arm around her. "I already arranged for a hotel room. Let's get you tucked in, hmm?"

"She's not going to stop, is she?"

"I don't know. But I won't let her kill you."

**Author's Notes:**

Now we know a bit more about Aidan's past, but not much. And Kat's sister is going to become important later on – I promise.

**Chapter Two Reviews**

Lily- Unfortunately, nothing is ever that simple for Kat and Aidan…

**Chapter Three Reviews**

Lily94- Thanks so much! I secretly like Kat and Aidan just a bit more than JxL… But Fi isn't going to leave her alone without a major fight… :)


	6. Chapter Five: Don't Let Me Disappear

**Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to the characters of Jackson and Lisa.

**Chapter Five**

"_Need something that I can confess/Til' all my sleeves are stained red/From all the truth that I've said/Come by it honestly I swear…Tell me what you want from here…Sick of all the insincere/So I'm gonna give all my secrets away/This time…Oh, got no reason, got no shame/Got no family I can blame/Just don't let me disappear/I'mma tell you everything…I'm gonna give all my secrets away…. " ~ __**Secrets**__ by OneRepublic_

Over twenty miles away, Lisa climbed into the bed she shared. Her partner was already lying in bed. "Did Aidan tell you why he flew out of the hospital with Kat?"

Jackson Rippner looked up from his book. "Sorry, what?"

"Why did Aidan bolt from the hospital? Kat wasn't even discharged."

"Oh, that." He slipped a scrap of paper between the pages and placed the paperback on his nightstand. "It's a long story…"

She stared at him. "And?"

"Are you sure you want to hear this?"

"What do you think?"

"Good point." He pinched his nose, blue eyes closed. "What happened today… the person who went after Kat… I worked with her. So did Aidan."

"Wait, 'her'? That was a woman?"

He nodded. "Her name is Fiona. She's insane. Not to mention cold-blooded and one hell of a shot…"

"Did someone put a hit on Kat?"

Jackson shifted closer to her. "No. Fiona has a vendetta."

"Against Kat?"

"Sort of. You see, Fiona and Aidan were… how do I put this…?"

"Engaged?" she guessed, looking rather confused. Aidan being with a killer didn't exactly make sense. He was too normal, too sweet and caring, to associate with a ruthless killing machine. He was the opposite of Jackson.

"No, nothing that formal. Basically, they were fucking."

Lisa winced at the vulgar term. She didn't even want to think about Aidan cheating on Katherine, even if it wasn't really cheating. It seemed wrong.

"Why go after Kat? I mean…"

"That's where it gets twisted, Leese. Aidan left one day without saying good-bye. He never looked back. Fiona never forgot. Now that Kat's married to him, I guess she thinks the only way to win him back is to kill Kat."

"Why…? What…?"

He ran his fingers through her curly hair. "What I'm about to tell you has to stay between us, okay?"

She nodded.

"Fiona called me. She wants to hire me to terminate someone."

"Who?" Lisa asked, her voice trembling. The knot in her stomach tightened.

"Kat. She hired me to kill Katherine."

* * *

"I'll protect you," Aidan swore as he helped Kat into the hotel bed.

"You can't."

"I will."

She shook her head slightly. "No, Aidan. No. It's too risky. She'll be hiding now."

"So? I can wait."

"I can't."

He straightened up, sitting beside her on the bed. "What are you talking about? I'm not going to leave your side—"

"Then she'll kill you, too."

He paused. "You think—"

"I know. From what you told me, you hanging around will only put your life in danger as well. It won't save mine. The only way to save me is to let me go," Kat whispered, her blue eyes clearly in pain and not just from her visible wounds.

"You want me to let her kill you?"

"No… divorce. Divorce me. Leave me, Aidan."

"No. No way."

She touched his hand. "It's the only way. You and I have to stay apart. If she even thinks we're in touch, neither of us will be safe."

"I won't do it, Kat. There has to be another way."

"There isn't."

"We'll find one."

* * *

"You're not seriously considering…"

"What kind of an asshole do you think I am, Leese?" he asked.

"The kind of asshole that would take a contract out against his own family if it meant money or power…"

He gave her a kiss. "Not anymore. Not when I've got you at my side. She's like a sister to me. I couldn't kill her unless she begged me to put her out of her misery. Even then…" Jackson shook his head. "I don't think I could do it then."

Lisa slowly pressed her body on top of his. "What took you so long to admit you're human?"

"What took you so long to admit you cared for me?"

"Point taken."

Jackson kissed her again, one hand slipping up under her pj top. "That's enough talking for tonight…"

She moaned, unable to do anything except agree.

Lips and tongues met, tasting and teasing as hands fumbled with clothing in order to reach heated skin. She pulled him on top of her, crying out in pleasure as they began to move in a rhythm their bodies knew well.

* * *

Fiona stretched like a lazy cat in her bed. She had to go to the hospital in a bit and make sure her target actually made it to the morgue and stayed there. She would have Aidan once more. He belonged to her. He loved her.

Except for his slut of a wife. Aidan had to be blind to not know that she was sleeping with most of the men around them. She routinely went to hotels and met with another man, Jesse DeFlair, second-in-command of a well-known crime syndicate. And there was Rippner.

Good old Jackson Rippner. He'd finally gotten himself a girl, one who looked surprisingly similar to Katherine.

There was an aspect of their relationship that worried her. Which is why she called her former partner and offered him a new gig. Killing Katherine Murphy. There was a chance the bitch was still alive. She seemed to live up to her name—that damn bitch had more lives than a cat.

And now, following the unplanned attack, Fiona knew she would have a hard time getting near her if she'd survived. Part of her knew that Katherine's heart still beat.

_Bitch…thieving, cheating bitch…_

* * *

Aidan lay awake in their dark hotel room, stroking her hair. At times, her breathing seemed to even out and relax. Then, moments later, she would tense up again and fall into a panic attack. He did his best to soothe her, but her demons were strong, perhaps stronger than their love for each other.

"I'm here, Katy. I'm not going anywhere…" he promised. He didn't care that Fiona might kill him. He wasn't going to leave his wife when she needed him most.

He pulled her favorite blanket, a woven throw from a college she'd attended a long time ago, from the end of the bed. He wrapped it around her, hoping the familiar, soft weave would comfort her.

He kissed her cheek and her forehead, tucking her deeper in the covers as he slipped out. This was Fiona's fault. She'd caused this breakdown with her sudden attack. Why now? Why after all these years of silence? Why did she want Kat gone?

Why? To punish him? Because she wanted him back? Why now? Why? Why? Why?

His head spun as he stepped into the bathroom. Cold water in his face helped wipe the sleep away. He needed to be alert. He had to protect Kat. He needed to stop Fiona in her tracks before Kat worsened.

Before he had to have her committed once again.

_

* * *

_

Aidan slipped into the office designated for both him and Kat to use. It had been her father's idea to keep them together following her encounter with Elektra and her oldest fear—water. The two men didn't need to discuss the situation. They both understood how fragile she could be despite her tough shell.

_He tossed his suit jacket in the direction of his desk. As he loosened his tie, he moved toward her desk. It was empty, her laptop closed and all of her paperwork and files stacked neatly in the corner. He frowned._

_"Kat?"_

_He crossed the small office to the couch. Sometimes he found her asleep on the couch, exhausted from panic attacks or her lack of sleep the previous night._

_She wasn't there, but her blanket was, crumpled on the seat._

_"Katy?"_

_Aidan tried the doorknob of their adjoining bathroom—a perk of being married to the boss's daughter—and found it locked. "Katherine? Kat? You in there?"_

_No response._

_He kicked the door, snapped the flimsy bolt. The door shuddered and swung inward, revealing his wife lying in a heap on the floor, pools of blood surrounding her. A knife lay beside her, the sharp edge covered in blood._

_"Katherine!" he shouted, kneeling in her warm blood. _

_There were two deep slashes, one on each wrist. Instead of doing a shallow cut along her wrist, Kat cut down her arm, following the veins. This wasn't an accident. She wasn't trying to center herself in reality. She'd tried to kill herself._

_He yanked his tie off, securing it around the deepest cut. He held the other wound in his hand, his fingers stanching the flow as he hit 9-1-1 in his phone. _

_"I need an ambulance right away. I have a twenty-five-year-old female who attempted suicide. She's lost a lot of blood. I'm applying pressure, but her vitals aren't good…"_

**Author's Notes:**

More of Kat's past revealed! There's still more flashbacks to fill in the gaps to come, but not for a while. Kat's not going to stay with Aidan. She's too afraid. I'll have the next chap up in a day or two.


	7. Chapter Six: You Can't Stop Me

**Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to the awesome movie that is _Red Eye_. Jackson and Lisa were created by Carl Ellsworth. I'm responsible for the insanity that is Katherine, Aidan, and Fiona.

**Chapter Six**

"_I'd rather run alone/Than spend a minute with you/I'm gonna go/And you can't stop me from falling apart…How could you/How could you hate me?...How could you/How could you love me?/When all you ever gave me were open wounds/Tell me why/You broke down/And betrayed my trust in you/I'm not giving up, giving in/When will this war end?... " ~ __**Open Wounds**__ by Skillet_

Nightmare after nightmare interrupted Katherine's sleep. It had been months since she'd faced the horrors of her past. Not even the poisoning attempt affected her like this. Fiona's brutal attack brought back her greatest fear—losing Aidan.

Years ago, she'd been helpless when her abductor shot him. At the time Kat couldn't imagine him surviving. She lived with the guilt of his death until he'd reappeared and brought down her captor—and his own brother.

Katherine couldn't—and wouldn't—live her life with one eye open. She couldn't ask Aidan to stay at her side. It wasn't fair to ask him to put his life on the line with her. There was no telling what Fiona would do just to keep Aidan to herself. If the woman was as unstable as Katherine assumed, she could very well kill Aidan.

Of course, running from Aidan was risky. The past two times she'd left him, she'd been abducted. Her past, as well as her father, left her a target for many people. Not to mention that Aidan would hunt her down.

She glanced toward the bathroom, where she could hear water running behind the cracked door. That meant one of two, well, three things. One, a secret phone call. Two, he was shaving. Or three, he was taking a shower.

No matter what he was doing, now was her chance to run.

She loved him. She did.

That's why she left.

* * *

The sound of a ringing phone pulled Jackson from his lazy slumber. Not long after dawn, Lisa woke him up. In the early morning hours, they made love once again. She still slept at his side, Daman the dog silent on the floor near her side of the bed.

He eased out of bed, reaching for the phone. A replay of the other morning, when he received Fiona Larsen's unwelcome call, echoed in his head.

"What?"

"Kat's gone."

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Only Aidan would start a conversation like that. "What? No 'hi, how are you? Sorry I woke you…'?"

"There isn't time."

"Why not?"

"She's gone."

"Did you check the bathroom?" Jack suggested, feeling a bit snarky given the early hour.

"Of course. I'm not stupid."

_Never said it to your face…_

"When did you last see her?"

There was a pause. "In the bed, sound asleep. I slipped into the bathroom around six and took a shower. I was only gone a few minutes. I just spent the past hour searching the hotel for her."

"You turned your back for a moment and she's gone?"

"Yeah."

Jackson sighed. "Any sign of a struggle?"

"No, that's the strange part. Fiona wasn't here," Aidan admitted. "She left of her own free will."

"Maybe she went for breakfast." His stomach growled audibly.

"Last night, she said something strange…"

"This is Katherine we're talking about. Everything she says is strange."

"She told me that the only way to save her was to let her go."

"And?"

"I told her no way. But she kept talking about it and mentioning divorce. Do you think she meant it?"

"Listen up, Murphy. If she ran, she's got a damn good reason. But she is right—as long as you stay with her, she won't be safe. Not if Fiona wants you. Kat knew that. She knew that if you let down your guard at all, Fiona would strike. You're safer apart."

"But I don't want to be apart."

"And I still want to be asleep. Tough."

* * *

Katherine waited to board her flight. She didn't bother to cover up her scars or her hair. She went as herself—even used her own name. She wanted Aidan to track her this far. He had to know she was doing this of her own free will.

The moment she stepped on the plane was the last moment Katherine Murphy was seen alive.

* * *

Behind him, Lisa stirred in their bed. She pulled the phone out of his hand. "Aidan? What's wrong?"

"Kat's gone."

Lisa looked at Jackson. He raised his hands in the air as if to say 'I didn't do it'.

"She'll be fine. If she wants to see you, she'll get in touch with you."

"That's not good enough," Aidan insisted.

"Look, we'll meet you for lunch. Okay? Just stay calm…"

"Calm? My wife is missing!"

Jackson motioned for the phone. "Fiona won't go after her. Trust me on this. I'll explain it all later. She won't hurt Katherine if you're apart."

"What—"

He ended the call. "I'm going to start unplugging these at night…"

"You mean taking the batteries out," she suggested. "But you can't blame him for being upset. He loves her…"

Jackson shrugged as he sat beside her. She rested her head on his shoulder. "I know. I also know she has a damn good reason to run."

"What?"

"Keeping Aidan alive."

"How do you—?"

"I just know. It's what I'd do. Fiona will only try to kill her as long as she stays with Aidan."

"Where do you think she went?" Lisa asked, clearly concerned for her friend, no matter how tough Katherine was.

"Somewhere she can disappear. By now, she's got a new name and look. She's got the training and the means. If she doesn't want to be found, we won't find her."

* * *

"_I hate you…" Kat whispered, unable to meet Aidan's eyes. "I want you to go away, Aidan. I never want to see you again…"_

"_That's my girl," her captor praised, kissing her cheek. She flinched, a small reaction that betrayed her true intentions. She'd given up herself in hopes of preventing her death and possibly Aidan's._

_But fate, and Chase, had other plans._

_Bang. Bang. Bang._

_Kat screamed against her will, watching the man she loved crumple to the ground. Chase twisted her arm, forcing her to stay with him or risk shattering her arm._

"_AIDAN!"_

_Heated metal whacked her in the mouth. Kat stumbled, hitting the pavement less than five feet from Aidan's body. She crawled backward like a crab on her hands. Chase stalked after her, gun in hand. _

_Panic swirled in her body. _Please no, not here, not like this…

_Pain like nothing she'd felt struck in her gut. She groaned, clutching her stomach with one hand. _No, no, NO! NO! Not now!

"_What's wrong now?" he demanded, crouching beside her, forcing her to look him in the eye by pressing the gun under her chin._

"_You killed him…"_

"_No, you did. Don't think I didn't see your desperate plea. Or that tell-tale flinch. Plus, what made you think I'd ever let him walk away alive? Huh? I wasn't about to let him live long enough to keep hunting us."_

"_Hunting_ you_," she snarled._

_"That's harsh, love."_

_"I'm not your love."_

_"No, you're my whore, right, Katherine? You only get off when I fuck you like one."_

_"Please, leave us alone…"_

_"Oh, no. I can't do that…" Chase aimed his gun at the crumpled form of Aidan. "I've got too much time invested in you."_

_Kat cried out as he shot her downed lover once more._

She jolted awake, her ice-blue eyes wide as her hands clenched the armrests. It took a moment to calm her breathing and remember where she was.

A flight attendant walked past.

Katherine took a deep breath, trying to shake herself free of her nightmare. Too bad it was a memory.

_That happened a long time ago. I'm not that girl anymore._

Katherine didn't need anyone to rescue her. She could save herself. She always had before Aidan came along. She'd survived on her own as a teenager. She could do it again.

After all, she was nothing if not a survivor.

**Author's Notes:**

This is the second version of the chapter. The other one was mostly talk and a really long flashback. So I re-cut and re-wrote. The incident where Aidan was shot occurred when Kat was about twenty. It's been several years since then. She got into a fight with Aidan and stormed off. She ran into a friend and ended up drugged and kidnapped. When her captor went to relocate her, Aidan found them.

Yes, he was very hurt in the shooting, but he hung on to life thanks to the vest he'd been wearing.

Enjoy!

Reviews

Lexicon – Thank you! I agree—I want a real sequel.

Lily94 - You're right about Fiona - no matter what, she wants Kat dead. Good thing Kat's stubborn and hard to kill. ;)


	8. Chapter Seven: Die for You Baby

**Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to the awesome movie that is _Red Eye_. Jackson and Lisa were created by Carl Ellsworth. I'm responsible for the insanity that is Katherine, Aidan, and Fiona.

**Chapter Seven**

"_I'd catch a grenade for ya/Throw my hand on a blade for ya/I'd jump in front of a train for ya/You know I'd do anything for ya/Oh, I would go through all this pain/Take a bullet straight through my brain/Yes, I would die for you baby…Black, black, black and blue, beat me 'til I'm numb/Tell the devil I said hey when you get back to where you're from/Mad woman, bad woman, that's just what you are/Yeah, you'll smile in my face then rip the brakes out my car...You said you loved me, you're a liar/'cause you never ever ever did, baby…" __**Grenade **__by Bruno Mars _

_He ran, praying the man he'd shot was wrong. If there was one thing he knew about Katherine it was that she was a fighter through and through. He'd seen her escape a hit-and-run, climb down a drainpipe, and fight off an armed man. She had raw talent and inner strength._

_She was a survivor like her parents._

_He reached the small beach, looking for marks in the sand. The killer wanted her body found. According to Marc, the police were already hunting for him. If a body showed up, he'd be the only suspect._

_Aidan kicked the sand, not seeing a single mark out of place._

_He glanced up, eyeing a small cliff face that overlooked the river. He'd stood on that cliff before. He'd jumped off it once, four years earlier._

_He ran up the steep hill, ignoring the pain and burning in his legs and lungs. He scrambled over the guardrail as sirens sounded in the distance._

_"Kat!"_

_Aidan slipped on the leaves as he reached the edge of the cliff. He looked down, half-expecting to find her floating in the weeds below. Instead, a head turned up, her scratched and dirty face looking at him._

_"Katy!"_

_Aidan climbed down, meeting her in the middle. She grabbed onto him, resting her head on his shoulder._

_"Kat…"_

_"You came…"_

_"Of course."_

_"They killed my mom…" she whispered._

_"Don't worry, we'll find her," he promised, rubbing her back. He felt the blood. "You're hurt…"_

_"I'm tired…"_

_He looked again, seeing the blood blooming on her back. She had been shot._

_"Hang on. I'm gonna get you help… Stay with me, Katy. Stay with me…"_

Aidan Murphy paced the small hotel room. The clock ticked off minutes and seconds slowly. He circled again, beginning to feel like a caged animal. He could have gone home, but he didn't want to face the empty house or the blood.

He wanted his wife back.

Without her, he feared what he'd become. He remembered the loss of control that followed her abduction back when they'd first met. Katherine was a job for him at the time.

But it was clear early on that she wasn't just a job. The attraction was there. They united against a common enemy, even defying her father's wishes. And it got her shot in the back.

He went crazy hunting her down. He shot and killed men without a second thought. He threatened a prominent doctor in his private office. He wrecked a car and went AWOL from the company. Instead of waiting for back-up, he strode into a battle zone alone.

Kat kept the reckless devil-may-care side of him in check. He was more than just another killer when she was with him. He wanted to change for her.

Without her, he would lose this control. He would become the killing machine his mother had engineered. He'd be Andrew DeFlair once more.

He needed to find her. He needed Katherine.

* * *

Jackson wasn't alone when Fiona's next call came through. He motioned for Lisa to be quiet before hitting the speaker button.

"What do you want now?" he asked.

"I heard through the grapevine that Katherine Murphy was still alive. I need you to take care of her for me."

"She's no longer a problem. She's long gone."

"That's not good enough, Jackie boy. I need her in the ground."

"I won't do it."

* * *

She switched identities in a hotel bathroom before taking three different taxis to a train station. From there, she journeyed across state lines before boarding a new plane. Thanks to the cash she'd pulled from the bank, she could run indefinitely.

But Katherine had an end goal. A visit.

Not home, since Aidan would call her father first. No, no, she was going the last place he'd check.

Her sister's home.

* * *

"What took so long?" Aidan demanded, opening the hotel room door for Lisa and Jackson.

"There's something you need to know. About Fiona."

The three friends took seats, Aidan on the end of the bed and Jackson and Lisa in adjoining chairs. She held his hand, lending him strength.

"Well? What is it?"

"Fiona hired me to kill Katherine," Jackson said softly. "All she wants is Katherine out of the way. She sees her as an obstacle—the only obstacle keeping you from her."

"That's insane!"

"We both know she isn't stable. What's worse is that she called again. She still wants Kat gone."

"Did you take the job?" Aidan asked.

"Not officially. I wouldn't do it—not to Katherine. Never."

"Why tell me? Why bother?"

Jackson looked at Lisa. She nodded.

"Because she told Kat to die. Kat told me about the attack. That, combined with the phone call, made sense. Fiona blames her for you leaving. She thinks Katherine is manipulating you."

Aidan shook his head in disbelief. "How did Kat—why—?"

"She doesn't want to see you hurt," Lisa said. "I know what she's feeling. She'll do anything to keep you safe. That's all because she loves you."

"Screw Fiona!"

Jackson grabbed him by the arm as he went to go to the door. "If you chase her, Fiona will chase you. You need to pretend you sent her away. Get Fiona's attention back on you. If we can distract her, we can kill her. Then Kat can come home."

"But—"

"He's right, Aidan. You'll only put her in more danger," Lisa said.

"I can't—"

"This is what she wants," Jackson insisted. "Trust your wife, Aidan. She's smart."

"No—"

This time, when Aidan lunged for the door, Jackson slammed him into a wall.

"I'm so sorry…" he muttered, carrying the unconscious man to the bed. "I can't let you do this."

**Author's Notes:**

Happy New Year, faithful readers! The flashback in this chapter is actually from my suspense novel about Kat and Aidan-_Sole Survivor-_which chronicles their first meeting, Kat's past, and thrilling finale where he all but admits he loves her. Currently, I'm agent-hunting for SS in my spare time as well as working on Kat and Aidan's next adventure, _Fatal Target_, which introduces Kat's half-sister (who will appear in a future chapter) and several complications from our couple, which have been revisted in flashbacks.

The focus should return to Lisa and Jackson next chapter, when we take a jump forward in time.


	9. Chapter Eight: I Still Want You

**Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye._

**Chapter Eight**

"_I miss everything about you/I can't believe that I still want you/After all the things we've been through/I miss everything about you, without you…But I never told you/What I should have said/No, I never told you/ I just held it in…" ~ __**I Never Told You**__ by Colbie Caillat _

In a hotel bathroom, Katherine dyed and cut her long curls. The longest piece reached her jaw. Piles of dark tresses were tossed in the trash can. She played with her new style and bangs in the mirror.

The best part of her look was that she didn't look like Katherine Murphy anymore. The only real clue was her missing finger. To appear more normal, she affixed a finger split to the stub and wore fingerless gloves to keep the split in place.

It was better to have a broken finger than a missing one.

She gathered up her meager belongings and new passport and ID card and left the hotel. In a few hours, she would be relaxing with her sister and nephew. If Kimberly even thought that Aidan was responsible for the slash on her sister's neck, she would never give away Kat's location or new identity.

Family protected one another.

_

* * *

_

Two days later…

When Aidan woke up, he was furious. It took several hours of Lisa alone with him in order to calm the other man down and talk sense into him. Reluctantly, he agreed to the plan.

Most men would be jealous of their girlfriends or wives spending hours in a hotel room alone with another man. Not Jackson. He understood why Aidan needed to hear the rational argument from Lisa, Kat's best friend, and not a logical man. Right now, Murphy was thinking with his emotions, not with logic.

Emotions were Lisa's forte.

But when they emerged from the room together and Lisa gave him a nod, they moved into the next phase—attracting their prey.

Aidan refused to stay in the house he'd shared with Katherine.

They picked through his belongings, sent most of Kat's clothes off to storage, and helped him relocate into a nice, furnished rental. It was smaller than his home, but functional.

That didn't keep him from fretting about Katherine.

Jackson physically had to take a blanket from the other man as well as a photograph. "No mementos. That would be a dead giveaway. If it smells like her, or looks like her, or has her name on it, it has to go," he reminded his friend.

"Kat—"

"You no longer love her. She's become a high-strung, emotional mess. You're sick of it and you've decided to separate. You're in the process of filing divorce papers, remember?"

"But—"

Lisa stepped in, touching Aidan's shoulder gently. "She knows you love her. It's just an act for Fiona. Just remember, we don't know when she's watching. You have to stay strong. Do this for Kat."

He nodded, relinquishing the photograph of Kat, mid-laugh, as he kissed her at a family gathering years before. Jackson tucked it into his own wallet, promising to give it back when this was all over.

"I'll hang onto this for Katherine," Lisa said softly, taking the throw blanket from his hands. "Keep it safe."

"Just go," Aidan said, his voice beginning to crack.

"C'mon, Leese…"

Together, they headed home, leaving their good friend to mourn his loss in peace.

* * *

"She could have at least left him a note…" Lisa said later, as they were eating dinner.

"Do we have to talk about this now?"

"Be honest with me, Jack. If I just walked out of here without a word while your back was turned, how would you react?"

He put down his fork. "Did you take the dog?"

"No. I took nothing. I'm just gone."

He frowned, knowing this was a test of some sort. He couldn't say his first answer—get rid of the damn dog—without offending her. He also couldn't admit to wallowing—he wasn't Aidan.

"I'd go after you," Jackson decided, nice and plain. "Find you."

"What if I told you beforehand that I wanted to do this?"

"I'd still find you."

His lover sighed across the table. "If you go after me, it means I will die."

"I'd still do it."

"Why?"

"Because… you're my Leese."

"Don't you think Aidan feels the same? He's helpless. He wants to get Kat back, even if he risks both their lives doing it. He loves her too much to even consider giving up."

"I'm not Aidan."

"I know," she soothed, her hand brushing his. "But you love me like he loves her. Can't you understand that? His devotion?"

Jackson cleared his throat. "That's not devotion. That's stupidity."

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" a petite woman with golden eyes asked, carrying a suitcase into a small house. She was a bit shorter than Kat, but had similar dark curls, except hers reached the middle of her back.

Kat glanced back at her half-sister. "I don't have much of a choice, do I? She's insane."

"But you love Aidan."

"And I want him to stay safe. I'm afraid she might hurt him."

"This really won't solve anything," she said, opening the front door.

"It's only temporary. Once he finds her, we'll get back together."

Kimberly nodded, setting the suitcase down inside her house. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I will be as long as Aidan's safe. She's already proven she wants me dead. I don't want her to kill him, too."

"He'll find her."

"I know. I just hate seeing the pitying look on his face. He blames himself for what happened." Kat took a seat on the couch, unwrapping a scarf from around her neck.

"He'll find her," her sister promised.

Katherine scratched at her neck where a white bandage covered one side. The sight of the supposed wound made Kim pale. Kat noticed and replaced the scarf loosely.

"So, where's my little buddy?"

"He's upstairs. CHRIS!"

A little boy of about seven came hurtling down the stairs. He had dark, messy hair and light blue eyes. Just seeing her nephew broke her heart. He was a miniature of her husband mixed with her own blue eyes. She'd always imagined if they had a son, he would take after Chris. Too bad the poison in her body robbed her of a family.

"Auntie!" he squealed, hugging her around the waist.

Kat hugged him back. "I missed you so much. You've gotten so tall…"

"Are you gonna stay with us?"

"Yes, I am. For a while."

He giggled, looking pleased. Then he seemed to notice the missing piece of the puzzle. "Is Uncle Aidan coming too?"

"No, he's not. Not this time, buddy."

"Why not?"

"We're not getting along. We need some time apart. That's all…"

"But why?" her nephew asked, frowning.

Like her sister, Chris thought the world of Aidan. He'd become a surrogate father to Chris, despite the reality of the situation. Of course, Chris was oblivious to the fact that the man he admired was his own brother.

"It's complicated…"

"No, it's not!"

Kat sat down on the floor beside him. "Why not?"

"Because he loves you!"

She felt the tears begin to form. "I know, buddy. I love him, too. That's why this is just temporary, okay? Now, what should we do?"

Chris thought for a moment, clearly satisfied with her answer. "Legos?"

"Legos it is," she said, letting her nephew take her hand and lead her to his toys.

**Author's Notes:**

That's the last we'll see of Kat for a little while. Next chapter will be Lisa's big surprise. Get ready for the jump!

Also, I have been keeping the playlist up to date (link on my profile page). Sometimes I post a new song or two before I post the chapter.

Reviews

Riley - Are you reading my mind? I swear... you must be. And she's going to try and hide it from him, because she's afraid of how he'll react.


	10. Chapter Nine: Scream It Out Louder

**Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Jackson or Lisa. I can only claim the psycho-ness that is Fiona and the messed up Kat and Aidan.

**Chapter Nine**

"_I know you need me, I can feel it/I'm a beast, I'm an animal, I'm that monster in the mirror/The headliner, finisher, I'm the closer, winner…If you really want more, scream it out louder/Get it on the floor, bring out the fire/And light it up, take it up higher/Gotta push it to the limit, give it more..." ~__** More**__ by Usher_

_Two months later…_

Weeks turned into months with no trace of Katherine Murphy. Jackson followed her trail onto a plane bound for Maine, only to have it turn into a dead end. But since Fiona seemed content to let Katherine be, he slowly scaled down his search.

At the same time, Lisa locked herself in their bathroom as he worked in his office. It had been over a week since she'd periodically thrown up, usually in the mornings, and decided there might be a problem more serious than indigestion.

She held a stick in her hand, waiting for the little timer on her cell phone to buzz.

Part of her wanted it to be negative. She didn't need extra ties to Jackson.

But another part of her wanted the test to be positive. She wanted this—even if he might not. It could just be her biological clock ticking, but Lisa was ready to face single parenthood if need be.

She watched, slowly chewing her lower lip as the test formed the words "pregnant" as her phone buzzed.

Lisa sat on the closed toilet, feeling her limbs turn to jelly. It could be a false positive. Yeah, a false positive. There was no sense in agitating Jackson over a fluke.

She dropped the test into the trash can.

* * *

Fiona sat in front of a computer screen. She'd hired out a surveillance job to some old friends on Katherine Murphy's family members. The news of Aidan filing for divorce seemed false to her. Katherine's new disguise only seemed to add to the lie.

With the photographs in front of her, she understood why Katherine ran. There was a small dark-haired boy involved. A mirror image of Aidan except with Katherine's ice-blue eyes. The slight boy had to be Aidan's son, even though all the paperwork she could dig up showed Katherine's half-sister as his mother and the father as unknown.

But watching Katherine with the boy, there wasn't any doubt in her mind. Katherine ran off to protect her son—Aidan's son.

A son that should be hers. Katherine stole her man and her child. She needed Katherine dead and Aidan's son in her clutches. There was no way Aidan would resist her if she had his son.

Then they would have another child, one of their own. And Katherine would be in a grave, long forgotten.

* * *

"Damnit!" he howled as Lisa's dog rammed into his legs. The razor in his hand nicked his chin as he stumbled to the side and kicked over the trash can.

Cursing the beast and the sharp razor, he blotted the cut with a tissue before bending down to right the trash can. Lisa would be pissed if he left the trash spilled out, even if it was Damon's fault. Damn dog.

As Jackson picked up the trash, he heard Lisa yawn behind him in their bedroom. His little scuffle must have woken her.

He paused, his hand closing around a plastic stick. A pregnancy test. Without acknowledging his lover, he turned it over. Instead of some strange lines, this test spelled it out in plain English. Pregnant. Lisa was pregnant.

With his child.

A mix of fury and joy filled him. Still holding the stick, he turned to face Lisa. "When were you planning on telling me, Leese?"

In a short silk nightgown, the sleepy redhead paused. Her eyes flicked down to his hand and froze. "I…"

"Stop it. Were you going to tell me?"

"When I was sure," she whispered.

"The stick's pretty damn sure—it says pregnant!"

She flinched. "It could be false… It happens. I didn't want to worry you—"

"Worry me? If you even thought you were pregnant, why didn't you talk to me? Don't you trust me, Leese?"

"I do. I just, it was stupid of me… I'm just so scared and we never talked about children…"

He could see the tears in her eyes. He mentally kicked himself for his harsh accusations. Katherine's disappearance and the silence from Fiona were beginning to wear on him.

Jackson put his arms around her. "Ssh, I'm not mad. I'm not…"

"What?"

She looked up at him.

"If I'm going to have kids, I want them to be with you. No one else."

"But your job—" she protested.

"We'll work around it."

"My dad—"

He smirked. _Isn't it supposed to be the man who makes excuses?_

"He doesn't have to know yet. C'mon, Leese, this is good news."

"How? We didn't plan—"

Jackson silenced her with his best weapon. He slipped his tongue through her open mouth, his lips pressing against hers. He used his hands to bring her hips against his.

She gasped, then moaned.

Neither of them seemed to notice the shaving cream he was smearing on her face. In fact, they didn't even notice Damon barking at their feet. Not as Jackson lifted her up onto the counter, edging his way between her thighs.

"Jack…"

"Ssh…"

He pulled her matching panties down her long legs, kissing her thigh along the way.

"Jack!"

He ignored her as he slipped out of his boxers. She parted her legs for him, her arms lacing behind his neck.

They began to move together, Lisa digging her nails into his back as he thrust into her. She moaned, her body quivering, her nerves on fire.

She screamed into his shoulder, her muscles twitching as she came. Jackson panted, their bodies bathed in sweat.

"My turn," she whispered, a twinkle in her eyes as she slipped out of her nightgown.

He stared at her, wondering what his lover had in mind, when she beckoned him to the shower.

* * *

"I guess we should go to the doctor, huh?" he mumbled later, her head resting on his chest. They'd made love in the shower twice before she helped him finish shaving. They stumbled into the bed, falling over each other as they came together again, before, finally sated, they lay entwined.

"Hmm?"

"About the baby. Find out how far along you are and all that…"

She looked up into his face. "You're serious about this, aren't you? You want to be a father?"

"Leese, I'm surprised this didn't happen sooner. We fuck like rabbits."

"But we do use…"

"Not always. And you've forgotten to take your pill before. I don't care. Really. I'm glad."

"I just wish Kat was here…" Lisa said sadly. "She knew all about babies…"

He kissed the top of her head, stroking her kinky curls. "Don't dwell on her. She would want you to be happy."

"What if she's dead, Jack?"

"Don't think like that. We've got a little Rippner to worry about…"

"What makes you think it's a Rippner? I could just as easily not mention you."

He growled at her, flipping her onto her back. He kissed her flat stomach. "You wouldn't…"

"Jack…"

"I could always… I mean… we could always make things… official…"

She sat up. "Jackson Rippner, are you proposing to me?"

"I guess I am."

She felt his forehead. "Are you feeling okay? I think you might be delirious…"

"I want us to stay together, Leese. For good."

"We hardly know each other…"

"Does that matter? I love you, you love me…what else matters? We're adults."

Lisa sighed. She did love him. That was the problem. "Jack, what if…"

"Don't start. Nothing will break us apart. I don't care what your father thinks. I love you. I love you and our little… midget."

"But…"

"Ssh, Leese. Just imagine us…I mean, we've already got the house and the dog. I've got the money. Neither of us needs to work. We could just… settle down."

"That does sound nice."

"See? Just consider it. I don't want an answer right now. I still have to get a ring and everything…" he muttered.

"What if I say no?"

"I'm still buying you a ring."

"You're crazy."

"Mmm-hmm."

**Author's Notes: **

The ideas are flowing rather fast for this story, so I might try and focus on finishing this one, then "Five Years Gone" second since that requires more planning. I am working on a new trailer for this story-so keep an eye on the author's page! I will try to make a note in the next chapter about it.

Reviews

XxDaAshersxX - My brothers do too (7, 7, & 9). Thanks!


	11. Chapter Ten: Everything I Need

**Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything special. If I did, I wouldn't be writing this.

**Chapter Ten**

"_This is going to bring me clarity/This'll take the heart right out of me/She is everything I need that I never knew I wanted/She is everything I want that I never knew I needed/This is going to bring me to my knees/I just want to hold you close to me…" ~__** She Is**__ by The Fray_

Lisa chewed on her lip as she filled in the forms. Beside her, Jackson tried to sit still. He wasn't exactly a fan of doctor's offices. They reminded him of hospitals. Actually, they just made him nervous. So did waiting around to hear about Lisa's condition.

About their baby.

And he was buying her a huge diamond no matter what the results said. He wasn't about to let her get away from him again. He would marry Lisa Reisert and they would have little temperamental children that hopefully would pull Damon's tail.

* * *

"Miss Reisert?" a woman in scrubs called.

They both stood up, following her into the back maze. Lisa was directed into a bathroom to take a test, while he stood in the hallway, looking completely awkward. Despite being an OB/GYN office, there was a distinct lack of males. He stuck out in his dress shirt and jeans.

At least he'd left his gun in the car.

He continued to stand as Lisa returned. She sat down as the nurse took her temperature, blood pressure, and asked about her weight and height. He tried not to listen in. Not that Lisa seemed to mind.

Together they headed to the tiny room where he took a chair and she sat on the table.

"Now what?" he asked.

"The doctor should have the test results before she comes in."

"Good."

"You're excited about this, aren't you?" she asked him, half-grinning. "Most men would run screaming for the door and here you are, calm as can be."

"I'm not most men."

"No, you're certainly not."

* * *

There was a knock on the door. A female in a white coat stuck her head in. "Miss Reisert?" she called, a chart in hand.

"That's me. Hi, Doctor Ross."

"It says here that you came in today for a pregnancy test?"

"That's right."

"And you are?" the doctor asked, looking at Jackson.

"Her fiancé. I'm Jackson," he said, shaking the doctor's hand.

"Hello, nice to meet you. Now…" she sat down at a small desk, reading through Lisa's chart. "When was your last menstrual cycle?"

"Umm, I don't know… eight or ten weeks ago?"

The doctor jotted something down. "And you are sexually active?"

Blushing, Lisa nodded. Jackson just grinned.

"Are you on birth control?"

"Yes, but I have forgotten it now and then…"

Dr. Ross nodded. "Okay, now… let's see here, the test you took when you arrived is… positive."

Jackson reached across the room and squeezed her hand. He was grinning like a little kid at Christmas. He was going to be a father.

* * *

Aidan closed his apartment door. It had been two long months since Katherine walked out on him. Two long, lonely months. Somehow, Fiona hadn't yet shown up on his doorstep. He knew she was waiting and watching. He couldn't go after Kat—even if he had a clue where she'd gone.

The only thing he could do was get close to Fiona, get her off her guard, and kill her.

Luckily, he'd spent his entire life playing games. He was well versed at hiding his true feelings. It was only with Kat that he'd learned to let himself feel. Before her, it was just about survival. He used charm to get jobs, steal money, and break hearts.

Now, he would use his skills of deception to kill a woman he'd once cared for. There was a part of him who might have once loved Fiona. That part no longer existed. But he knew how to at least show love—he had Katherine. If he could pretend Fi was Katherine, he would be okay.

His ex-wife. Soon to-be ex-wife, at least according to the paperwork. "Irreconcilable differences" was the reason. There wasn't a box for "my husband's ex tried to kill me, so now I need to get away from him".

Not that Katherine filed any papers. She just disappeared. Completely off the grid.

Even using J. Carter and Associates' resources he'd come up empty. The same resources were accessed by Jackson. Rippner also used non-company sources to interview those who came into contact with Katherine on her plane flight.

Aidan started up his car. He hated going back to his past. Seeing Fiona meant rubbing elbows with his old cohorts. Including Dillon, the man who saved his life.

* * *

While Lisa finished her appointment, Jackson slipped out. He wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to actually propose to his lover. Especially now that she was pregnant—he wasn't going to give her a chance to say no.

As a kid, he'd lost his father. He wasn't about to let his child grow up without a father. He wouldn't subject any kid to the endless string of "boyfriends" he had endured. That was no way to raise a kid.

Which meant he needed to get away from the business, if he planned to watch his child grow up. For his future with Lisa, he had to break all ties with his past.

No more killing.

* * *

He let himself in using a key. Even after these years, he still kept his old key to the doors of Saints & Sinners—a vigilante group who took in and shelter people like him and did what the justice system wouldn't do.

He owed Dillon O' Connor a lot. The other man saved his life, pulled him out of an alley where he'd been left to die by his own brother, and brought him in. He helped Aidan choose a new name and life. He brought him together with Fiona. They worked together.

Then they slept together.

And before long, he nicked the wrong wallet and ended up working for J. Carter and Associates. He worked there a few years before ending up part of a two-man team keeping eyes on Katherine—before they found out she was the boss's daughter—and fell in love with her.

But Fiona didn't let him go and he never lost the key.

The inside of the refurbished warehouse was still very much the same. There were the usual desks and tables, including an expensive computer set-up. Beside the keyboard, with headphones on, was the computer geek and brother of his good friend. He'd passed out on the desk once again. That never changed.

He slipped past Quinn Pearson and up the stairs to the second level where most of the apartments were. He walked past his own room on his way to Fiona's.

Aidan took a deep breath and raised his fist. He knocked on the door, wishing he could leave his past in the past. He just wanted his wife back.

And to do that, he had to kill Fiona.

**Author's Notes:**

The next chapter is mostly Fiona and Aidan, then the focus will switch back to primarily Jackson and Lisa.


	12. Chapter Eleven: I Eat Boys Up

**Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity**

**Disclaimer:** I own zip, zero, Fiona.

**Chapter Eleven**

"_I have a heart/I swear I do/But just not baby when it comes to you…I am a cannibal/I eat boys up/You better run…I love you/I warned you/Rawr…" ~ __**Cannibal**__ by Ke$ha_

It took a moment for the door to squeak open.

Sleep-filled eyes took him in. "Aidan…"

"Hey, Fi."

"You came back," she said, throwing the door open. In customary Fiona fashion, she was only wearing a skimpy tank top and thong. Her S&S tattoo was in plain-view on her hip.

"I was delayed."

"So I saw. How was the Robertson bitch?"

He grabbed Fiona by the hips, pulling her closer. "Mmm, nothing like you. Very reserved, even in bed. Sometimes I just wanted to strangle her…"

Lips crashed against each other with a vengeance. Fiona eagerly took the lead, one of her hands already undoing his belt. They stepped back long enough to shut the door.

"I tried to take care of her for you…"

"I know. I finally managed to get the divorce paperwork started…" he said.

"You'll lose the company if you leave her."

"So? I'd have you back."

She shook her head, her dark hair shimmering. "If she dies before the divorce… you'll get everything. We'd be rich…"

"Fi…"

She backed him into the bed. They fell into rumpled sheets, her hands reaching inside his pants. Despite himself, Aidan couldn't help it. He channeled his frustration and anger.

He ripped off her shirt before helping her remove his pants and boxers. She yanked off his shirt, pulling buttons free, as he flipped her over on the bed. She laughed, smiling up at him.

What they had wasn't love by any stretch of the imagination. It was just sex. Meaningless, animalistic sex.

Aidan didn't love her. He didn't really want her. He just wanted her dead.

But he still made her scream his name as he fucked her.

* * *

Jackson sat on the couch, Lisa's head in his lap. He stroked her hair, sneaking glances at her stomach. According to the doctor, their child was close to three months along. They would know more in a few weeks.

"Have you heard anything?" she asked, absently watching TV.

"About?"

"Katherine."

"No. She must have changed identities. None of her aliases on record have been used. How she has another set of identification is beyond me."

"In other words, you've got nothing?"

"Pretty much," he admitted. "When she wants to hide, she knows how to hide. I think it's instinctual."

"Because of her past?"

Jackson sighed. He hated bringing up anyone's past, let alone Katherine's. Aidan had been her savior and her rock for years. He understood the other man's frustration at being shut out. But it wasn't really his place to reveal Kat's secrets.

Lisa had some damage, but none of it compared to Katherine's. He still wasn't sure how she managed to appear stable.

"Some of it."

"She once told me that she understood why I wanted to learn defense. That she knew what it was like to be powerless. I never got to ask her about it."

"Powerless doesn't cover it. She was a kid. She didn't stand a chance."

She sat up, staring at him with those soulful green eyes of her. "What happened to her, Jack? What did she have to fear?"

"It was her guardian. He used to beat her. Then, as she got older, he started to rape her. She was nineteen before he was arrested. Aidan held her hand during the trial."

That caused Lisa to tremble. She couldn't imagine Kat being a vulnerable teenager. "What happened to him?"

"Slap on the wrist. Not enough evidence. But… he did die in a suspicious accident within a year."

She frowned. "Who do you think—?"

"It was Aidan. He arranged it. Not that it kept her safe."

"What do you mean?"

"An old enemy of her dad…he put a bounty on her head. He wanted her alive and broken. He planned to send her body back to Jim," he said softly, glossing over some of the details. "The guy who took her shot Aidan in the chest as she watched. The trauma caused Kat to miscarry. She was barely twenty-one."

Lisa shook her head. "But, how…"

"Why does she run? To ease the pain. I meant it when I said Aidan was the one constant in her life. He's her anchor. She's running to save him. It's the only way she knows to protect him."

"Fiona will find her, won't she?"

"I hope not. If I can't find her… I don't think anyone can. She doesn't want to be found."

She took a breath. "Let me get this straight, as gravely wounded as she is, Kat decided to disappear? Are we sure she's not dead?"

"That was the plane. She wants us to think that. She's like her father."

"Are you going to keep searching?"

He shook his head. "No. Not as thoroughly. I've got other things to do."

"Like?"

With a smirk, he slipped onto one knee beside the couch. He pulled a large diamond ring from his pocket. "Like say 'Lisa Reisert, will you marry me'?"

* * *

Wrapped up in the sheets, Aidan closed his eyes, trying to think of Katherine and not the woman lying beside him, one leg over his. He needed to distance himself before Fiona dragged him right back under. She knew how to trigger him; how to force him to embrace his darker side.

She always enjoyed misery. When they met, he felt nothing but misery and pain. And anger—he had more anger than he knew what to do with. He still wasn't sure who left him unconscious and bleeding in the dark. That was the nature of head wounds.

Without a name and without a past, he'd been easy prey for the sultry, seductive vixen that was Fiona Larsen.

Together they worked large scale-scams behind Dillon's back. It was against the rules, but neither of them cared. They enjoyed the rush. They were junkies hunting for a fix. They got it from a steady diet of sex and theft.

In fact, he recognized the stones in Fi's earrings. They'd once been part of a much larger stone Aidan swindled out of an old woman.

"What's on your mind?" she asked.

"Us. We've been apart, what, fifteen years? And already, we're right back in the same pattern."

"There's nothing wrong with that. We were destined to be together."

"What took you so long to come after me?" he asked.

Fiona moaned as he stroked her thigh. "Work. Dillon had me under close watch. Plus, I had no idea where you went. Then all the newspapers were talking about some heiress. I saw a picture of you with her. I just knew you needed me."

"Mmhmm…"

"I mean, it was obviously a con…"

"Of course."

"My only question is… did you develop feelings for her?"

He looked down at her. "Fi, luv, would I be here if I did?"

"Perhaps."

"Look… what you did reminded me I wasn't alone. I'd become complacent. Her father treated me like a son, I was second-in-command and she was worth millions. And _she_ was head over heels in love with me."

Fiona smirked. "Of course she was. Who could resist you?"

Her lips sucked on his skin, sending shivers down his spine.

"You never could," he teased.

She straddled him, her hips grinding into his. "I still can't."

He growled into her ear, rolling across the bed until he was on top.

"No, no, Aidan. It's my turn to be on top."

She hooked her leg around him and flipped him onto his back. He lay there, looking at her through lazy hazel eyes.

"I'm going to eat you up…"

He surrendered to Fiona.

**Author's Notes:**

Aidan's walking a very dangerous line. The line between hate and love is thin.

Next chapter should be pretty much all JxL plus a time jump. I felt like Lisa needed more backstory about why Katherine was gone.


	13. Chapter Twelve: Now There's No Chance

**Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity**

**Disclaimer:** I own zip, zero, Fiona.

**Chapter Twelve**

"_You told me you loved me/Why did you leave me, all alone/Now you tell me you need me/When you call me, on the phone…Cry me a river/Cry me a river…I know that they say/That some things are better left unsaid…The damage is done/So I guess I be leaving…Now there's just no chance, for you and me, there'll never be…And don't it make you sad about it…Cry me a river…" ~ __**Cry Me A River**__ by Lostprophets (cover)_

Lisa found herself unable to speak. First, she found out she was pregnant. Then, her live-in boyfriend and lover proposed to her twice—once spontaneously in their bed and again just now with a ring. An honest-to-God gorgeous ring.

But at the same time, the man proposing to her wasn't who she'd ever seriously considered marrying. Jackson Rippner was a wanted terrorist. He killed people for a living. He'd tried to kill her in the past.

Yet she trusted and loved him.

Her family wouldn't be so understanding, especially her father.

Marriage was complicated. Too complicated. Just being pregnant with his child was enough of a headache. She couldn't imagine springing the news on her father that not only was he a grandfather, but she'd snuck out and married Jackson Rippner.

That would not go over well at all.

All of the scenarios running through her mind ended badly. He could leave her. He could die at work. He could end up behind bars—most likely courtesy of her family.

Which is why, despite the dazzling gift and the handsome blue-eyed man in front of her, offering to share his life with her, she shook her head.

"I can't. I'm sorry… I just… I can't do this…"

* * *

Fiona watched her lover sleep. It was long overdue, their reunion. She forgave him for getting caught up in the con. Katherine made a very irresistible target. Sole heiress to a billion-dollar company and undeniably attractive. She was a challenge.

She was also incredibly well-trained. Luckily for Fiona, the other woman slipped up returning to her sister. To her son.

Now that Aidan returned, she could send Jackson on a retrieval mission. With Katherine's new identity, he wouldn't know the woman's real name until the bitch was dead. With their son in her hands, there was no way Aidan would deny her.

Of course, he would have to publicly play the grieving widower and collect the money. But once he took control of the company, they would have eternity to themselves.

* * *

"Say that again," Jackson said, his voice soft.

"I can't marry you. Not now."

"Why not? Is it about money? I have plenty of it saved. I don't need to work. I can stay here with you…"

She shook her head. "You'll go crazy sitting at home. I know you, Jack. You need to work."

"Fine. I'll work. I'll get a normal job…"

"It's not just that."

"Then what?" he asked, touching her face. He cupped her chin in his hand. "What is it, Leese?"

"Me. I can't do this. I can't commit to us. My family…"

"Fuck them. Fuck them, Lisa. I love you. I love our child. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Isn't that more important?"

His lover looked close to tears. "We can't have a life together."

"Yes, we can."

"No, not a normal one. I'm sorry…"

"Lisa—"

She pulled away from him, leaving him on the floor. "I can't. I can't marry you, Jackson. I don't… I don't love you."

"Lisa—"

Upstairs, the bedroom door shut, not with a slam, but with a tiny click.

Confused, Jackson sat in silence on the living room floor, a box in hand. The ring sat untouched inside. Lisa's ring.

Was the ring not big enough? Did she have cold feet?

He couldn't fathom what brought up all these strange, nonsensical arguments. Did she really not love him? Did she plan to be a single mother and raise their child alone? Did she think he would let her do that? That he would just give up?

_It's a test. It has to be…_

_

* * *

_

A few days later…

Katherine noted the sedan parked across the street from her sister's home. She wrote the plate number down day after day. Call it paranoia, but she didn't believe in coincidences. Especially not when the car tailed her to and from Chris's school.

Putting her own life at risk was one matter. Putting Chris and Kim in danger was another. She'd always sworn that she would keep her sister safe.

She'd dragged Kim down once before. She wouldn't do it again. Not to her sweet, innocent sister. No. This was her fight.

"I've got to go," she announced after Chris left on the bus.

"Already?"

"Something's come up."

Kim frowned, still in her pjs. "What?"

"Just… a development."

"Is it Aidan? Did something—?"

She shook her head. "Aidan's fine. It's something else. A new lead."

"You're lying."

Kat silently cursed. She should have just written a note. Why was she bothering with the human lie detector? Damn Kimberly for being so intuitive.

"No, I'm not. It's just… it might be important."

"Katy…"

"It might take a while to sort out."

"Don't lie. You're scared. I can tell."

Kat uncurled her fingers. "I'm not… I'm just… anxious."

"About?"

"Stuff."

"Is this about the…?" Her sister pointed to her own neck, mimicking where the long gash on Kat's neck was slowly healing.

"Her? No…yes. In a way."

"You're going to kill her, aren't you? You don't have to kill her, Katy."

Kat scratched the wound on her side. "She tried to murder me in my bed, Kimmy. I have to stop her before she finds me. But that's not why I'm going. Not yet."

Her sister's wide eyes looked disappointed. Despite the horrors she'd faced, Kimberly didn't approve of killing. She harbored no ill will toward anyone, even if they hurt her or Kat. She wasn't the type to hold a grudge. Kimberly was passive and non-violent—everything Kat wasn't.

Perhaps it was because it was their personalities. Or the way trauma affects people differently—the way some abused children later become abusers themselves while others can't kill a fly. Either way, they were two opposite sides of a coin.

"Stay. Chris likes having you here."

"Kim, I would love to, but…"

"But what?"

She paced, wondering what she could tell her sister to get Kim to understand the danger, without scaring her. Without telling her that she planned to draw the threat away and then finish them off.

"I just can't."

"Why?"

"It's not safe. I've stayed too long. Someone could be tracking me."

"Are they?"

_Yes, and they won't hesitate to kill you and Chris._

"I don't know. It was stupid of me to come…"

"Go home then. Go back to Aidan. He'll protect you."

Kat scraped her face with her hands. "I can't. I won't. This is one situation I have to fix on my own. This is my fight…"

"No…" Her sister took her hand. "You've got me."

"I can't stay. I can't put you in danger."

"I trust you. You wouldn't let anything bad happen. Besides, I can't run from all danger. We all die, Katy."

She frowned. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm already dying, Katy."

* * *

Eat. Sleep. Fuck.

That became Aidan's routine. Thoughts of Katherine slowly drifted from his mind. He was intoxicated by Fiona.

It was like a drug.

The house was empty. Quiet.

Damon wasn't there to bark or growl at him. Lisa wasn't there calling his name. She wasn't sneaking up behind him. She wasn't lying in their bed, smiling at him.

She wasn't there at all.

Jackson lay alone and awake at night. He slept on the couch during the day, jumping at every sound, hoping it might be her. It never was.

Time. She'd asked him for time.

He'd mutely agreed. But only for so long. He wasn't going to wait around forever.

Lisa had been right about that. He needed to work. He was a man of action. He needed to do something besides lay around moping.

Which is how he found himself taking a quick clean-up job down South. All he had to do was create a cover story and help an associate dispose of a body. Easy work for big bucks.

And it would also bring him close to Lisa's fears.

**Author's Notes:**

Silly characters… I only wanted to work with Lisa and Jackson! Anyways, that's a lot of developments.

Yes, Kim really is dying. Is Aidan being drugged? What do you think? And Lisa… she's thinking too much, that's for sure, but it's a big leap. I blame the hormones. And Jackson… he's going to find himself in big trouble and potentially behind bars.

Thanks for reading! Please, please review! The next chapter is taking a bit longer to put together and I'm packing up house again this weekend and cooking, so it might take a day or so. In the meantime, enjoy the trailer for _Newfound Sanity_ on YouTube. The link can be found on my profile page!


	14. Chapter Thirteen: You Forgot Me Long Ago

**Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity**

**Disclaimer:** I own zip, zero, Kat and Aidan.

**Chapter Thirteen**

"_Please, please forgive me/But I won't be home again/Maybe someday you'll look up/And, barely conscious, you'll say to no one:/"isn't something missing?"/You won't cry for my absence, I know/You forget me long ago…Even though I'm the sacrifice/You won't try for me, not now/Though I'd die to know you love me/I'm all alone/Isn't someone missing me?…" ~ __**Missing**__ by Evanescence_

He slipped a pair of shades over his blue eyes. He loathed the Miami heat. It was always suffocating. How Lisa lived there for most of her childhood and a good portion of her adult life baffled him. He seemed to always be wading through sweat, especially on jobs.

At least this one promised to be quick. Painless, even. Well, at least for him. The man was already, well, dead.

However, he owed it to Lisa, wherever the hell she was, to speak to her father. If he planned to be in his child's life, he needed to mend things with Joseph Reisert. If her father accepted him, there was a good chance she would finally say yes.

Jackson shouldered his bag and made his way to a waiting taxi. He needed to get back into the swing of his work. It would take his mind off his lover and child.

* * *

"What are you talking about?"

Katherine sat at her sister's kitchen table, the breakfast dishes still out. Chris was already off to school, leaving them alone in the house.

"I don't have long to live. It's leukemia. A rather aggressive form. They've tried several different drugs, but it's not slowing the disease. I won't make it to Christmas."

"That can't be true. There has to be a mistake…"

"There's not," Kim said quietly, holding Kat's hand. "The chemotherapy will buy me some more time. Maybe a few weeks or another month or two. We don't know for sure."

"But leukemia's treatable!"

"Some types respond better than others. Mine isn't one of those."

"Does Dad know?"

The younger of the two women shook her head. "No. I don't want to worry him."

"Worry?" Kat scoffed. "You're dying!"

Her sister flinched. "I can't tell him. Not after what happened to you lately…"

"Forget me. I'm fine. I'm alive. But you need help. We have to tell him. He'll call in specialists and experts…he'll make you better."

"No. This is my fight…"

"What about Chris?"

Kim looked down at the floor. "That's why I need you to stay. I want you to take care of him. You and Aidan. He loves you guys and he deserves two parents…"

"Kim, no. I'm not taking your son from you. We're gonna fight this. We're gonna get you better."

* * *

Lisa rubbed her growing stomach. She wished she could share these quiet moments with Jackson. Yes, she'd been hasty turning down his proposal. However, he'd proposed to her for all the wrong reasons.

Just because they were having a child didn't mean they needed to marry. Of course she wanted her child to know his or her father. She cared for Jackson. But she couldn't rush into marriage, no matter how much she cared for him or how many children she had.

Yes, divorce happened. It happened to her parents.

She didn't want to be a divorced, single mom. She'd rather not marry to begin with than end up divorced and heartbroken. Plus she knew Jackson couldn't really quit. He needed a challenge. And his job was part of the reason they couldn't be together. They would all be in the line of fire if he continued making enemies.

All of that was before she considered her family.

These past few months she'd missed speaking with her father. But with what happened at the bank, living on the run, and then Katherine's coma, she hadn't found the right time to call him.

Now, sitting alone in a hotel room and pregnant, she wanted her dad.

* * *

Fiona waited for Aidan to head down to the work area to chat with Quinn and the others before pulling out her phone. As she watched from above, he slipped right back into his routine, laughing and joking with the others. Smiling to herself, she retreated into her room.

"What's the status on the Robertson bitch?" she asked her West Coast set of eyes.

"Gone. Her, the sister, and the kid. Vanished."

"Three people can't just vanish. They probably went to dinner."

"I don't know. I wasn't…there's been no sign of them. The kid never even came home."

She frowned. "What?"

"The girls left mid-day. I thought they were going to lunch. I lost them on the highway. So I came back to the house and turned on the GPS device."

"And?"

"They ditched the tracker on the car. Robertson must have found it."

Fiona pinched her nose. "Fuck."

"I can try and pick up their trail, but it's going to take time."

"Keep searching. I need to find her. Soon."

* * *

Katherine waited for the man to put his cell phone down. After taking Kim out of the house, she'd ditched the tracking device on the truck she'd found days before, and hid her sister in a hotel. Then, certain they'd lost their trail, she back-tracked to the house and parked a few blocks away.

On foot, she crept closer to the car. The windows were rolled down thanks to the heat, giving her a clear shot at the man.

She'd listened in to the phone call. Clearly this man had been hired to take her out. Only Fiona would bother with amateurs. Her father didn't know she was in California. He wouldn't send someone to track her—he'd just send Aidan to collect her or Marc.

Katherine clicked off the safety, sighting down the narrow scope to the man's head. She could do it, walk away, and be gone before the cops arrived.

With a finger on the trigger, she approached the car.

The man settled back in his seat, rolling his neck. He didn't notice her silent approach. Good.

Katherine raised her gun and fired. One shot to the torso stunned him. Before he could react, she put a slug in his head.

* * *

The clean-up went well. Using the latest in forensic tech, Jackson had double-checked that the scene was void of any blood spatter or other residue pointing to a crime. The gun was stripped and dumped in a dumpster.

Despite the heat, the clothing worn by the assassin was burned in the fireplace. The ashes were picked up and dumped in the Everglades. It wasn't best for the environment, sure, but it would make them impossible to find.

The body was another matter. The wallet was taken from the body and the slugs were retrieved from the wounds before they turned it into gator bait.

Satisfied and with a firm alibi formed for the assassin, Jackson returned to his hotel and cleaned up. He called the job in, received praise from the freelance operative who'd hired him, and sat back for a bit.

Dressed in a fresh suit, Jackson headed out to Blossom Palms Lane. It was time for a face-to-face with Joseph Reisert.

* * *

"Hello?"

"Dad? It's Lisa…"

She could've sworn he was smiling through the phone. "Lisa, are you okay? I haven't heard from you in ages. I thought you were dead…"

"I'm fine. I was really busy with my new job and then my friend got sick… it's been crazy."

"It's so good to hear your voice."

"Yours, too, Dad." She smiled, clutching the phone tightly. "I found a job up here working at a bank."

"Banking? Isn't that a bit like working at the Lux?"

"A bit. But my co-workers are great."

"That's good to hear. What else have you been up to?" Joe asked.

"I joined a self-defense class for a bit and made a few friends. I don't know if you've heard of Robertson Technologies?"

"Of course. They've got an office downtown."

"Well, I'm good friends with the owner's daughter."

There was a pause for a moment. "You know Katherine Robertson? Wasn't she recently kidnapped or something?"

"Yeah, she was. That's why I wasn't around a phone. I was helping look for her and then she was in a coma…"

Her father lowered his voice. "Is it true that she… died?"

"Yes, she did. She's fine now. Well, at least she was last time I saw her," Lisa admitted.

"My little girl is friends with Katherine Robertson. That's something."

"Yeah, she's great. You'd like her."

Joseph laughed on the other end. "I bet I would. So, what's new? How's your new place?"

She looked around the hotel room. "Cozy. It's small, but I like it. Oh, and I got a dog."

"A dog?"

"His name is Damon. He's a mix so he's rather large. But he's a real sweetheart. Except for around males. He doesn't like them."

"Good dog. Someone needs to look after you."

Silence filled the line for a few moments.

"Dad, there's something else I need to tell you…"

"Sure thing…uh, hold that thought. Someone's at the door."

"Okay."

Lisa chewed on her lip, trying to figure out how best to approach the subject of her pregnancy and her affair with Jackson. Her father would undoubtedly demand details about who she'd been dating and why they broke up.

The closer she stuck to the truth, the safer it was. Plus, it would help her gage her father's reaction to the news. And help her decide what to do about Jackson.

Her father came back on the line. "Lisa, I'm going to have to call you back…"

"Why? Who is it?"

There was a slightly scuffle at the other end. "Hello, Leese. I'll have Joe call you back when we're done talking."

"Jack?"

Too late. The phone was dead in her hand.

_

* * *

_

A voice called his name.

_He looked over, seeing blue eyes and a smile. Lips brushed his own. Heat flooded his body at the mysterious woman's touch. Something silver twinkled at her throat._

_He touched the cool metal, his fingertips tracing the symbol. It was Celtic. He knew that much._

_"It means protection," the woman said. _

_Protection, of course. He'd special ordered the pendant because of its meaning. He should know that. Why didn't he know that?_

_"Trust your instincts…"_

_"Why? Who are you?"_

_A soft smile, a brief touch on his cheek. "You know. Don't let her push me out, Aidan. I need you. I love you."_

_"Who are you?"_

_A sad smile. "I'm your wife."_

_He immediately looked down at her hands for a ring. That's when he noticed something strange. The mystery woman didn't have a ring finger. The entire finger was missing. Strange._

_"Your finger…"_

_"You'll remember. Just fight it."_

_"Fight what?"_

He padded into the bathroom and splashed cold water in his face. Aidan Murphy shook his head, trying to push out the strange dream and the slight headache. The dreams were becoming more frequent. The one constant seemed to be the woman.

She had curly hair, a slender, shapely body, and piercing blue eyes. Her clothes and hair color changed periodically.

He felt like he knew her, he just couldn't remember why. Was she a figment of his imagination or real? Did it matter? Even if she was real, the dreams didn't mean anything. He wasn't a prophet and they were vague and abstract.

Still she haunted him, leaving him uneasy. It was like something was missing. He just couldn't pinpoint it.

"Whatever…" he muttered, brushing his long hair out of his eyes.

**Author's Notes:**

Long chapter, yay! Kat is going to take another big time jump coming up and Jack's showdown with Joe will be interesting to say the least, but probably not deadly. I think.

The link to the trailer – which is JxL based – is up on my author's page. Thanks for all the reviews! You guys rock!

Lily94 - Aidan is being stupid, that's for sure. Part of the reason he didn't immediately kill her is that he wants to make sure she doesn't have people watching Kat. I'm so glad you're for Kat and Aidan. Lisa is overthinking her decision a bit, considering that she really loves Jack. Thanks!

XxDaAshersxX - Thanks! Oooh, I have to do the math... hmmm, he's about four years older than Kat...who was nineteen when they met... he's either 34 or 35 at this point. Lisa was lying. She does that. ;)


	15. Chapter Fourteen: Bet My Life Upon It

**Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity**

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing beside a battered Suzuki. Seriously. It's seven years old.

**Chapter Fourteen**

"_Hey Miss Murder can I?/Hey Miss Murder can I?...What's the hook, the twist/Within this verbose mystery?/I would gladly bet my life upon it/That the ghost you love, your ray of light/Will fizzle out without hope…Hey Miss Murder can I?/Hey Miss Murder can I?..." ~__** Miss Murder**__ by AFI_

_Three Months Later…_

Katherine kept them on the road in order to protect her sister and nephew. Every few days to every other week they relocated. With Kimberly needing treatment, they had a hard time running. Especially as Kim slowly lost her energy to the cancer killing her white blood cells and bone marrow.

So they slowed down.

Which meant that Fiona's lackeys caught up to her.

A group of them cornered her outside the hospital. She weighed the odds of outrunning the trio and reaching her sister. Even if she did get inside, Kimberly was in no shape to run. They wouldn't make it from the hospital to another location. Not before getting caught.

She had no plan to get caught.

She touched the knife tucked into the top of her jeans. She could take out one of them with the knife before reaching for her gun. She hated having to draw attention to herself, but she needed to protect her family.

Katherine rounded a corner and turned to face her attackers.

A fist shot out, aiming for her face.

She blocked the blow with her forearm and drove her knife into his rib cage with her free hand. He grunted.

Kat let go of the knife and reached for her gun. She drew it from the small of her back. The other two stumbled onto the scene, armed with their own weapons. Unlike her, they had silencers screwed onto their guns.

She spied a planter. Once the bullets started flying, she would need cover.

She jumped, crossing the planter in two steps, and rolled to the ground on the other side as a bullet thwacked into the tree just mere inches away from her head moments before. On the other side, she flicked off the safety and glanced up, spotting her prey.

They had split up. One man was coming around either end.

Kat took a deep breath, angled her gun, and fired.

The shot disrupted her hearing, disorienting her, as the man collapsed. She shook her head, praying for the ringing to cease. In the meantime, she spun around only to find herself staring down a barrel.

She rolled to her left and avoided the bullet hitting the cement.

She heard the man curse as she jumped to her feet and ran, zig-zagging into the parking lot. _Come and get me, asshole…_

_

* * *

_

Three Months Ago…

Jackson Rippner took a seat in Joe's living room. The older man didn't scream or shout when he opened the door. He just let him in. Jackson suspected Lisa's father had a gun close at hand. He didn't mind.

After hanging up on Lisa, he waited for Joe to make the first move.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Jackson cleared his throat. "I'm here to apologize."

"Why? You kidnapped and terrorized my daughter."

"And for that I'm very sorry," Jackson said sincerely. "I went too far in my duties. Lisa has since corrected me over and over. Circumstances have changed drastically and I'm a different man now."

"You're still a killer."

''Yes. But only to protect your daughter."

Joe Reisert frowned. "You've been in contact with Lisa?"

Jackson nodded. He kept his hands resting on his legs in plain view. "I love her. I think I always did."

"Love? Do you even know what love is?"

"I do. Lisa made me see who I could be. Between her and her friend… there's no turning back for me. I'm out of the business. For good. All I want is to repair your relationship with Lisa. I know she misses you."

"How do you know?" Joe asked, still not running away. He'd underestimated the other man.

"Because I've been living with her. I mean it, what I said before. I love her."

"That's just not… not possible."

Lisa's father stood up. He began to pace the living room. "I don't know why I'm even talking to you…"

"Because of Lisa. Because we both care about her."

"Not you. You can't… you'll put her life in danger."

Jackson shook his head. "Call her. Ask her about my proposal. Ask her what she really thinks of me. If you don't like it, you can shoot me."

"I still might shoot you," he muttered. "I would've already if I'd known for sure it was you."

"There's a phone in my jacket pocket. Speed dial number two goes to Lisa's cell. Call her. I'm not here to hurt anyone. I'm not that man anymore."

Joe narrowed his eyes. "Give me the phone."

With one hand, moving slowly, Jackson retrieved his cell and handed it over to Lisa's father. Joe punched in the speed dial and held the phone up.

Jackson didn't move, watching Joe as the phone rang. He still couldn't believe how calm the other man was. Anyone else would have called the police, slammed the door in his face, or tried to kill him. Not Joe. He took it all in nice and slow. He must have been one hell of a lawyer before he retired.

* * *

Lisa picked up her cell phone. "Jack" the screen said.

She almost wanted to let it go to voicemail. But at the same time, she missed him. She wanted to hear his voice. It was a sickness—this need for him.

"Jack?" she answered.

"Lisa?"

"Dad? How did you…? Jack! Did you hurt him, daddy? Where is he?" she said, a little more frantic than usual. Damn hormones.

"He's right here, Lisa. I haven't touched him. Doesn't mean I won't."

"How did you…? Why is he there?"

"Apparently, he wanted to patch up my relationship with you and apologize for what he'd done," Joe said. "I don't trust him, Lisa. He told me to call you…that you'd verify his story."

She swallowed. This wasn't how she'd imagined she would tell her father about her relationship with Jack.

"Well, you might want to sit down…"

"Why?"

"It's a long story."

_

* * *

_

Three Months Later…

Katherine pressed her back to a parked SUV. She closed her eyes, trying to listen. Her ears still rang a bit, making it hard to hear the man stalking her. She knew he was close—too close.

These men had come prepared to kill her. But once again, Fiona had underestimated her. Years of training and instincts honed her senses. She never fully let her guard down. She never stopped practicing, even on the run. Sit-ups, push-ups, and mile-long runs were all a part of her regular day.

Just because she couldn't drill with Aidan didn't mean she'd let herself go.

Except, her running and tumbling had ripped open her side. She could feel the blood leaking through her t-shirt and soaking her jacket. Pretty soon she'd be leaving a trail.

_C'mon… where are you?_

She slipped behind another car, moving quickly, yet quietly despite her stiletto-heeled boots.

THWACK!

Kat dropped to the ground as a window shattered. Auto glass rained down on her, covering her in tiny shards.

On her knees, she crawled forward, hiding behind a wheel well.

Her side protested, leaking more blood. She touched the wound, her hand coming away slick with blood. _Shit…_

This was probably the fifth time she'd ripped her stitches. Her neck had long since healed up. Her side still hadn't closed completely. Once again, she'd have to sew it up herself. Doctors had to report stab wounds and gunshots to the police.

First, she had to get out of the parking lot.

Peering underneath the car providing her with cover, she noticed a pair of shoes. Her target was on the other side. Kat steadied her gun, aiming at his knee cap from underneath the vehicle.

With a piercing cry as the lead hit bone, the man went down.

Kat hurried around the car and drilled two more bullets into him. His gun lay on the ground beside him. He didn't touch it before she killed him.

Breathing heavily, she lowered the gun.

She could hear the sirens now. The police were coming.

Tucking the gun under her jacket, Kat walked toward the hospital entrance. She buttoned up her jacket to conceal her blood-stained shirt and slipped her hands into her pants pockets. She smiled at the security guard as she stepped inside.

He nodded at her, remembering her from earlier trips. Most of the security staff knew her. She made a point of knowing who wore a uniform and who came near her sister.

In the elevator, she began to feel dizzy. The adrenaline flowing through her body was gone and the blood loss was affecting her.

She stumbled out onto the third floor, using the wall for balance. Her hand left streaks of blood along the corridor. She didn't notice.

Katherine didn't make it to her sister's room before she collapsed in a heap.

_

* * *

_

Three Months Ago…

Joe Reisert was silent at the end of her story. She spilled her guts about the past few months. About meeting Kat, the bank, the robbery, Jackson's intervention, and him showing up on her front step with a bullet in his back. Then she talked about his recovery, the tiny apartment they shared, and the fire that destroyed Kat and Aidan's home. From there, she covered Kat's kidnapping, the finger, and her own capture and subsequent rescue. She glossed over Kat's coma and murder and skipped to her and Jackson living together.

"And he's never hurt you?"

"Never. He'd die first, Dad. He almost has given his life for me many times before…"

"Hmmm." Joe didn't sound convinced.

"I love him, daddy. I love Jack. I'm having his child."

Silence greeted her.

"Daddy?"

"Lisa, are you sure about this?"

"I'm positive. I even turned down his proposal. He wants to marry me, Dad. I was worried what you and mom would think…"

"Honey, I'm worried about your safety…"

"He'd never hurt me. He loves me. And I love him. And he loves our baby. Daddy, please…"

"Please what?" Joe asked.

"Please accept Jackson. Accept us. Come to our wedding. Be part of our lives. Please…for me."

She heard him sigh. "If you're sure that's what you want…"

"It is," she decided. She could see a life with Jackson, even if it was filled with danger. He would protect her. He would protect their baby.

"Then, I guess I'd better get to know him."

**Author's Notes:**

What did you think? Kat is back in action…or was… And Lisa finally admitted her feelings! Wheee!

Joe didn't recognize him at first, which is why he let him in. I'm also thinking he's not necessarily a violent man-when he shot Jack, all he saw was someone hurting his daughter. But he's in a rational, calm mood when Jack comes to his door.

Also, for all of those readers without accounts…I do accept anonymous reviews and I usually respond to them at the end of the next chapter. So, yes, you can review! :)


	16. Chapter Fifteen: Cost Me Everything

**Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_.

**Chapter Fifteen**

"_You never go/You're always here/Suffocating me/Under my skin/I cannot run away/Fading slowly…Nothing left to lose/Loving you again…My best defense/Running from you/Cost me everything/I can't resist/Take all you want from me/Breaking slowly…" ~ __**Already Over**__ by RED_

Jackson and Joe sat in the living room quietly for several moments after Lisa hung up. It was Joe who finally broke the silence.

"Would you like some coffee or a glass of water or something?" he offered.

"Coffee would be nice. I'll help you," Jackson said, standing up.

They went into the kitchen. "How did you meet my daughter again? She doesn't get on planes often…" He graciously left off _since you terrorized her._

Jackson cleared his throat. "Through work. We both ended up relocating to the same area up north, and we had mutual friends in common. Plus, when her bank was robbed, I was on my way in…"

"This robbery, what happened?" Joe asked, remembering Lisa's brief mention of it.

"Well, it was two men. They went to kill all the tellers when I came in. By then, Katherine—the head teller—had been shot multiple times and left for dead in the vault. Lisa was next to be executed, but I stepped in. She didn't know it was me at the time. I helped her keep Katherine stabilized until an ambulance arrived."

"Katherine—Katherine Robertson?"

"Yeah, her," Jackson said. "She's a good friend. I know her father."

Joe nodded, though a bit surprised that an upstanding businessman like Jim Robertson would be an acquaintance of the manager. "Out of everyone, why would Lisa pick you?"

"I'm not sure. She resented me at first…then it changed. Now we're together. We're gonna be parents."

Joe sighed as the coffee pot finished percolating. "I don't think this will work."

"You don't trust me?"

"I didn't say that. I'm worried about Lisa. About the child being in the middle of you two fighting—or worse, your job or your past putting them in harm's way."

"I'm reformed. I don't take jobs like that anymore. I'm an intelligence analyst now for Robertson Security."

"That's respectable. How much do you make a year?"

Jackson froze for a moment as he did the calculations. "Starting at around $200,000 a year—not including bonuses."

Lisa's father raised his eyebrows, impressed. "Do you already have a house or apartment in mind?"

"We already own a house. We pooled our money and my savings. We own it outright. It's located in a small Maryland town and it's three story, five bedroom home. We even have a pool."

"Sounds nice."

"Lisa picked it," Jackson admitted.

"She always had good taste." _Except when it came to men…_

_

* * *

_

Three Months Later…

The beeping woke Katherine up.

She opened her eyes, checking out her surroundings. It was a hospital room, complete with a heart monitor and an IV drip. She groaned, trying to sit up.

That's when she realized she'd been handcuffed to a bed rail.

"Shit!" she whispered, metal jangling.

Voices reached her ears from the hallway. Apparently she'd regained her hearing while out. _Good, I'll need that to get out of this…mess._

"No id on the girl, but she's got torn stitches, a gunshot wound, and she had a gun in her waistband. She's restrained, but we need someone down here immediately. She might be connected to the shooting…"

Kat looked at her wrist. She could deal with the IV and monitor, but the handcuff would be tricky.

She didn't have her usual tools on her. Not when she was supposed to be retired. Not when she was on the run, even from her own husband. She was ill-equipped to deal with the situation at hand. There wasn't a magical hairpin lurking about. She wasn't that lucky.

Katherine eyed her wrist. She'd broken her wrist before to escape handcuffs. She could always do it again.

An exploratory tug rattled the metal around the bedrail. The bedrail was a coated plastic, supposedly durable, but like all plastic linked to metal, there had to be a weak spot. One place where she could undo it.

Kat ripped the IV tubing out of her hand. She bit down on her lip to avoid crying out. Blood dripped from the open wound, but she ignored it.

After rounding the bed, she examined the rail up close. A few screws kept it tightly secured to the frame. She lowered the rail to a height where she could use leverage to break free.

Using her weight, she leaned on the plastic, sometimes standing on the hard plastic. It was a balancing act, but the rail broke off from the bed frame.

The clattering caught the attention of whoever was assigned to her room.

Kat tightened both hands around the rail, raising it over her head like a baseball bat. When a man stepped into the room, she whacked him over the head with the heavy plastic rail. He crashed to the floor, keys jingling.

His tan uniform noted that he was a security officer. He carried a ring of keys. She snatched them.

Her fingers flicked through the keys, trembling as she tried to find the handcuff key. She couldn't very well sneak out with a bedrail attached to her wrist. Not to mention, she really didn't have time to break her bones again and allow them to heal.

She found the key and unlocked her wrist.

Wincing, she slipped out into the hallway, sticking her head out first. She could feel her side bleeding, despite the hasty patch job done by some nurse or doctor. Her gun was long gone, but she could get by with a bit of hand-to-hand, if needed.

Instead of locating an elevator bank, she kept her head down and located a stairwell.

_

* * *

_

Three Months Earlier…

Since Jackson was off dealing with her father, Lisa decided to start making up a nursery and leave the hotel. There was no sense in searching for another place to live if Jackson was going to approach her family and make amends. It was best for their child to stay together.

Unlike some pregnant women, Lisa was determined to remain calm and level-headed throughout her pregnancy. She was not going to go overboard spending wise—even though she knew Jackson would gladly scrape together the money—especially since children grew quickly.

She didn't see the point in buying tons of clothes when she didn't have a clue what gender or size her child would be. She could buy cute little outfits closer to the due date.

What mattered most at this point were the large items—a cradle, a crib, a saucer for playing in as the child grew, a high chair, a stroller, and of course, a car seat and a carrier. She also remembered, from helping watching a cousin's infant at a family reunion, the necessity of lots of pieces of fabric known as 'burp cloths'. And bibs. She needed bibs. And bottles. Perhaps formula…but what if her child had allergies?

Lisa rubbed the little bump. This wasn't just her child—it was Jackson's as well. Their child.

A permanent link between the two of them. She wasn't about to let him go now. She knew he would never let her go either—not when it involved his unborn son or daughter.

Not after he risked life and limb to confront her father.

Nothing said commitment like that.

_

* * *

_

Three Months Later…

His mystery woman had many names. Caitlin. Lover. Katherine. Wife. Lynn. Soulmate. Miranda. Partner.

Part of him ached for her. A deep hole inside his heart demanded he locate her. That he save her. Her life was in danger. He knew that now.

_Blood dripped from a gunshot to her shoulder. Long red hair covered her face and back. She lay motionless._

_Gasping for air, her clothes soaked, her hands bond behind her back. Her hair was shorter, streaked with electric blue. She lay her head against his chest, clearly upset._

_A gun to her head. A different hairstyle. Scratches marred her skin, several of them fresh. She called his name—almost screaming from the pain._

Aidan stared at himself in the mirror. He willed the images to stop. For the woman to stop haunting him. But he wanted to help her. He needed to.

_"Aidan, help!"_

"Are you okay?" Fi asked, slipping her arms around him from behind. Her face appeared in the mirror beside his. They looked okay together, but not perfect. Something was wrong with the faces in the mirror.

This was his past. Fiona and him. They weren't meant to be—but why were they still together?

"I just need some air. I'm going to the range."

He slipped out of her embrace and picked up a handgun from his night table. He checked the clip before putting the gun in the shoulder harness and pulling on his black jacket.

"Aidan—"

"Fi, don't. Not now."

He needed to lose the ghost. This girl. The one with ice blue eyes. The one with the Celtic necklace he'd purchased. Protection. Why did she need protection? From who? Why did he care?

Why couldn't he remember? Who was she?

* * *

Katherine bolted down the stairs, adrenaline pushing her body beyond its limits and through the pain. She had to reach Kim.

She watched the numbers tick by as she rounded corner after corner.

_Please be okay. Be safe…_

She skipped a few steps to the next landing, stumbling a bit. Kat cursed, then pulled open the door to the hospital.

Her training kicked in. Despite a thudding heart, she slowed to a walk, appearing rather casual to anyone nearby. Running was a sign that something was amiss. Soon, whoever had restrained her would realize she was missing. Once they did, everyone in the hospital would be looking for her.

She ducked into her sister's room. "Kim, we have to—"

Two steps inside, Katherine stopped dead as the beeping registered in her ears.

She was too late. Her sister was already dead.

* * *

On the way to the nearby range, Aidan clicked on the radio. He was a few blocks away when the radio announced a breaking news bulletin.

"One of the daughters of multi-millionaire Jim Robertson was found dead following a shootout at a hospital in the Midwest. Katherine Robertson first made headlines this year following a high profile kidnapping. She is survived by two sisters, a nephew, and an estranged husband…"

He clicked off the radio.

Katherine Robertson. Jim's favorite daughter. His…estranged wife.

Light blue eyes, a loud laugh, and ever-changing hair.

_"I love you, Aidan. No matter what happens, I will always love you…"_

_"Katy, babe…" he muttered._

_"Don't talk. Not now…" Her soft lips attacked his._

_They fell into the down comforter, her petite frame straddling his. He undressed her with practiced ease, his hands encountering a gun holstered on her hip, knives secreted in her bra and boots, and a pair of metal handcuffs from the small of her back._

_"God, you're amazing."_

_"You ain't seen nothin' yet," she promised, a glint in her eyes promising an eventful evening._

Aidan shook free from the memory. Katherine Robertson. No. Katherine Murphy. Katy. His wife.

His _wife_.

He had a wife. Well, _had_. She was dead now.

_Is this my fault? Did I fail you?_

**Author's Notes:**

Real life has been a pain in the ass, otherwise this would have been up ages ago. Now, Aidan's slowing regaining his memory, but Kat's in a deep trouble. Once Fiona finds out she's alive…the crazy is going to rear its ugly head once again. Thanks for hanging in there – you guys ROCK! :)

Reviews:

XxDaAshersxX – She did. And Fiona is going to be hot on her heels soon since Aidan's getting his memory back. Good thing Kat knows how to run and hide. Thanks!

Hmm – Thank you SOOOOO MUCH!

_- I'm working on it. Sorry it took so long! :(

Roguereader – Thank you so much! Aidan will be coming to his senses slowly. And Jackson and Lisa have some big problems around the corner.

BlueSkyMornings – I know! I love Fi in Burn Notice! That's why this one isn't really the same Fi. I know, time really flies, doesn't it? I've been watching Burn Notice since the very first episode a few years ago and I have seasons 1-3 on DVD. Season 4 is on my DVR. Hehehe, I couldn't resist a crack about the dog since Jackson hates him. There should be more JxL moments to come. I will be careful about my use of 'lover' in the future. I like the idea of them using the nicknames they normally hate for each other. And they DEFINITELY have major chemistry. The bathroom scene is hot. I'm still holding out for a sequel. Yah never know… Kat's a survivor – but I agree about the Kat from Vampire Diaries. She's evil in a good way though. Kat and Aidan are one of those couples that really belong together no matter what. Aidan does have an interesting past, much like Kat which makes them both more than awesome. Kat's not always stable. She had a rough childhood and actually died several times. Which only makes her think that she really has outlived her time and should be dead. This Fiona will be gone by the end, most likely at Aidan's hands. Kat always cares more for people than she should and values their lives above hers, especially Aidan. I don't think I could leave someone as fantastic as Aidan. But it's fun to see him and Jackson without their ladies and how they deal. Kat has really bad luck. What can I say? Thanks for all the reviews! :)


	17. Chapter Sixteen: Hurt To Love You

**Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_. This is all for fun.

**Chapter Sixteen**

"_I could have run forever/But how far would I have come/Without mourning your love?/All that I'm living for/All that I'm dying for/All that I can't ignore alone at night…Should it hurt to love you?/Should I feel like I do?/Should I lock the last open door?/My ghosts are gaining on me…" ~__** All That I'm Living For**__ by Evanescence _

Aidan stayed in the car after pulling into the parking lot. More images hit him, one after the other, all of the same peculiar woman. Katherine. His wife. His lover. The mother of his children.

Except for the constant tragedies that befell her. The latest being caused by Fiona.

And he wasn't even talking about the death on the radio.

No, no, he remembered poison. A rare poison injected into his wife's IV while she slept in a long-term care facility. Which left Katherine waking up in a morgue alone. He wasn't even sure of the extent of the damage because soon after, she left him.

In a hotel. He woke up, reaching for her, and she was gone. Another woman pulled him aside, tried to console him. But he wouldn't listen. He couldn't.

_"If we don't do this, she will die. You and I both know this. Fiona is dangerous. Kat is smart. She can hide and we'll buy her time. Specifically, you will buy the time. And then, when it's safe, you'll put a bullet in her and we'll go find your wife…" his friend promised._

Jackson. The dark-haired man was Jackson Rippner. His co-worker and friend.

He was remembering. But why had he forgotten? Was it something to do with Fiona?

_She wouldn't… no…._

Then he remembered the blood. His bedroom completely trashed, blood soaked into the rug, a knife from his wedding lying in the blood after Katherine was attacked. Her throat slashed by Fiona, who left her for dead.

_Yes, she would._

He frowned. He hated admitting that his girlfriend, the woman he was living with, could try and murder his wife. Then force him to forget about Katherine? That was beyond twisted.

Only, according to the news, Fi hadn't just tried to kill his wife—she'd succeeded.

* * *

Katherine stared at her sister's still body. _No, no, no… this can't be happening!_

"Aunt Katy?" a sleepy voice mumbled from a chair.

Her heart nearly stopped. Chris was in the room. Which meant he could be next. Her would-be killers could find her nephew. The child she would never have—not after barely surviving the toxin in her body—and the one she was entrusted with.

"I'm here, buddy."

"Why is mommy sleeping?"

"Chris… mommy's not sleeping…"

Heavy footsteps echoed in the halls. She could almost picture the men with their walkie talkies and ear pieces. They would find her.

Kat rummaged in the tiny closet. She grabbed her sister's bag and keys. "We have to go."

"But—"

"I'll explain later. Just trust me, okay?"

He looked at her with frightened eyes but nodded.

She reached her hand out. He grasped it.

"Let's go."

* * *

Heels clicked on the wood floor as Fiona paced. "So she's dead? Really, truly dead?"

"Yes. It's been confirmed. However, the kid… he's disappeared along with the sister."

"Then find him. I want my son back."

"We can't. There's no trace."

Fiona threw a glass at a wall. "What are you talking about? This is some pathetic little homemaker, not a trained spy! She should be easy to catch!"

"That's the problem. It seems Katherine left instructions for her sister about what to do. How to run."

"That's—gah!" Fiona kicked a box over, spilled packing material across the floor. "This is unacceptable!"

"We're very sorry—"

"No, you're not! This is my son, we're talking about. My son! I want him found NOW!"

She hurled the phone at the warehouse's brick wall, watching as it shattered into pieces of plastic and metallic bits. She grinned, looking a bit sick and twisted, as her fiancé entered the room.

"Fi, you okay?" Aidan asked, looking at her, then the phone.

"Nothing. Nothing that I can't fix."

He frowned. "What are you—"

Fiona closed the gap between them and placed a slender finger on his lips. "Don't fret, my love. I've got the situation under control. Everything's going to be just fine…"

* * *

Almost a hundred miles away, Lisa Reisert giggled as her husband-to-be kissed her growing stomach. She was six months pregnant and feeling a bit like a planet was attached to her.

Jackson whispered to her belly, talking to the growing baby, as he did several times a day. He was more than enamored with the idea of their child. In fact, he'd gone overboard in preparing the nursery. Top-of-the-line furniture was ordered and assembled for baby Rippner. Bottles, diapers, formula, clothes, burp cloths, and dozens of toys swamped the room. A bassinet was already resting in one corner, ready for the baby to sleep in.

He also packed hospital bags shortly after her fourth month.

Lisa couldn't be mad at his preparedness. After all, she'd never seen a man so enthusiastic about having a child before. Plus, being ahead of the game was just his personality. It was very much Jackson.

Which is why three months after obtaining permission from her father, they still had yet to wed. Jackson was still planning the ceremony, booking hotel rooms, flights, and venues—not to mention ordering flowers, contacting a caterer, and finding a priest—and Lisa could only hope her child wasn't born in the church.

Since it would be fairly obvious that she was pregnant when she did walk down the aisle, Lisa ordered a pale blue gown with a generous amount of fabric in the stomach area to accommodate her growing belly.

"I dunno, Leese… I think it might be a boy…" Jackson said, sitting up.

She rubbed her stomach. "Hmm, I'm pretty sure it's a girl."

"Maybe it's twins."

She looked over at him. "You'd better be joking…"

"C'mon, Leese…. Would it be that bad? Two kids born at the same time? I mean, there are two of us…"

"I'm not carrying twins, Jack. I'd be huge!"

He gave her a kiss. "You're still beautiful."

"Oh, give it up. It's not a boy!"

He smirked at her. "That's what you think…"

She rolled her green eyes. "We're going to be late for the doctor if you keep this up…"

"Is that supposed to be a bad thing?"

* * *

Explaining to Chris that his mother was dead took a toll on Katherine. She was exhausted when they stumbled into a new hotel, Kat's hair pinned up under a hat. She signed in under a false name, paid cash, and received a room key.

Chris fell asleep, his pillow wet from tears, while Katherine contemplated her new identity in the adjoining bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror, her pale skin streaked with dirt and blood. She'd stripped down to her underwear in order to assess her wounds.

Once again, she'd pulled out stitches. She should be used to that by now. But it still hurt like hell to clean and redo.

She gritted her teeth and redressed the wound, also cutting some of the stitches short. She'd bought some adhesive butterfly stitches at the drug store to help seal the gaping hole.

But it would take more that stitches to save her life. Fiona's men would be looking for a woman with a child. She had to change their perception of her as best she could.

Carefully, she chopped off her hair, leaving it semi-long for a man, but ultra-short for a woman. The ends covered her ears.

Katherine sighed, hating that she had to destroy her hair, but knowing it was required if they planned to survive the coming days and weeks. She would run indefinitely. She wouldn't let Fiona kill Chris. She'd promised Kim and she'd keep that promise or die trying.

* * *

Aidan waited for Fiona to leave before packing an overnight bag. He would jet out to view Katherine's body and put an end to his nightmares. He would say good-bye to his wife and leave the past behind. He would put a knife in Fiona's heart for his dead love.

It was all he could do. He still loved the woman he could barely remember. The one with the protection amulet.

He loved her, yet he failed her. It was too late to save her, but not too late to destroy Fiona. He would do that much for his wife.

**Author's Notes:**

Soon we'll find out what happens when Fiona learns the wrong sister is dead and Aidan realizes that his wife is still out there. But it's not all sunshine and roses for Jack and Lisa—at least, not when Fiona finds out her prey's alive.


	18. Chapter Seventeen: Control Me

**Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_.

**Chapter Seventeen**

"_Don't give up your lover tonight/Cause it's just you, me, and this wire, all right…Feast your eyes, I'm the only one/Control me, console me/Cause that's just how it should be done/Oh, all your history's like fire from a busted gun…You should be in my space/You should be in my life…" __**Narc**__ by Interpol_

Fiona knew that it was time to pull Jackson in. If anyone could find her son it would be him. It also helped that Katherine's sister wasn't familiar with Rippner. Surely Katherine would have warned her about Fiona or any other strange women who might approach her. But a handsome man? No one would resist that.

Jackson would earn her trust, confirm that it was her son, and kill the bitch's sister. Then he would bring back her son. Aidan's son. She would have her family again.

She just needed to get Katherine's estate in order, her death confirmed, and the inheritance set in motion. Once Aidan reclaimed his dead wife's money and company, she would marry him. They would be husband and wife.

Fiona also knew it would be Aidan's last marriage. She took "until death do you part" very seriously. She would kill him rather than divorce him. She couldn't put her son through the pain of a divorce and seeing his father with another woman.

No. Once she married Aidan, it was all over. No one could change that.

* * *

Lisa slipped into the back changing room. She undressed and pulled on the blue hospital gown. Jackson was down the hall waiting in an examination room. She would rejoin him after a quick scan and blood draw.

She pulled back the curtain and stepped into the hallway.

"Are you ready, Miss Reisert?" a nurse asked, her hair tied up in a bun.

"Yeah."

"Follow me…"

She rubbed her stomach, waddling after the nurse. She could feel the baby stirring inside, perhaps waking up from a nap. Lisa couldn't suppress a smile.

As she stepped through a doorway, a thick cloth covered her mouth and nose.

Startled, Lisa tried to step back, only to hit the closed door. She batted at the cloth, trying to hold her breath, trying to fight.

Whoever was attacking her was strong. They held the cloth in place.

_No, no, no! Not my baby! I won't let you hurt my child!_

She struggled, clawing at the person holding her down. She kicked and fought even as the drug started to take hold. The sickly sweet fumes went straight to her head, making her dizzy.

Within a minute, Lisa Reisert stopped moving.

* * *

A doctor stepped into the examination room with a smile. "Hello, Mr. Rippner. Where is Lisa?"

"Oh she's just getting blood work down the hall. A nurse came by."

"Huh. I didn't have her down for any blood work…"

"And some sort of scan…not a sonogram…" he added.

The doctor, a woman with light brown hair, frowned. "I didn't authorize any scans. Especially not this late in her pregnancy… the risks of radiation are too high…"

That bothered him. He stood up. "Fiona," he grumbled.

"I'm sorry?"

"It must be a paperwork mix-up. Let me just…" He tried to slip past her through the door. He had a knife hidden under his jacket just in case. He never left the house without one—especially not when he was with Lisa. No one was going to touch her or their child.

"Leese?" Jackson called, heading down the hallway to the back. "Leese?"

He ripped open the changing room curtains, causing screams to follow him. He paused in an empty cube, noticing Lisa's clothes and bag. "Lisa? Leese?"

Jackson went room to room, calling for her. Behind him trailed staff, trying to calm him, or get him out of the office, or whatever they were saying. He wasn't listening. "Lisa? Leese? Where the fuck are you?"

He threw open the door to a scanning room. Lying on the floor was a diamond ring. He bent down, feeling his heart sink. It was Lisa's ring. The one he'd given to her three months ago.

And it was wet with blood.

* * *

Aidan parked his rental car at the morgue. He whipped off his sunglasses and strode into the office dressed in all black—jeans, t-shirt, and leather jacket. He paused at the reception desk, then continued on.

The next person, also at a desk, asked who he was here to see.

"I'm here to identify my wife. Katherine. It might be under Robertson or Murphy or someone else," he admitted. "I have a picture."

He fumbled with his wallet, finding a tiny picture tucked in the back. It was the only picture he had of her.

"Oh, so you're here for the Jane Doe," the man said.

"Jane Doe? The radio said—"

"The records indicate that it might be Katherine Robertson. But there's some conflicting information about her identity."

Aidan nodded. "Can I see her?"

"Of course."

The man prepped the morgue's main area before letting him inside. "I'll be right outside when you're ready."

"Thank you."

Aidan pulled back the sheet, slowly revealed a familiar face, even if it wasn't the one he was expecting. He knew her. She was like a sister to him.

The dead woman wasn't his wife—it was her sister, Kimberly.

* * *

Inside his jacket pocket, Jackson's cell phone rang.

"Leese?"

"Good guess, but not quite, Jackie Boy. I need you to finish something for me… or your precious little Lisa will die. Did you like the ring? I thought it was a classy touch…"

"Fiona, I swear—"

"No threats or I'll kill your spawn, Rippner. I've done it before and I'll do it again."

He grumbled under his breath, hardly believing that he'd let his guard done this much. And letting Fiona steal Lisa? That was unforgivable.

"What do you want you bitch?"

"That's better," Fiona said, still sounding bubbly and happy. "I want you to retrieve Chris. Katherine's dead and I want my son back. The longer you take, the sooner your own kid will die… and Lisa shortly after. Do you understand?"

"You killed Katherine?"

"Of course. She suffered greatly at the end, but now she's dead. Her sister took the kid and ran. Kill the sister and bring me back my son."

"Chris isn't—"

"I have a knife to Lisa's stomach right now, Jackie. I wonder if I cut your baby out now it'll live…"

He swore to himself, pacing in the hallway. "Let me talk to her."

"She's out like a light."

"If you kill her, I will rip you apart."

"Harsh. The clock's ticking, Jackie. You have a week."

The call died, leaving Jackson to stare at his phone and the ring in his hand. That sneaky Irish bitch stole his wife-to-be and his child. She even murdered his best friend. He didn't care what it took—he would kill Fiona Larsen.

But first, he'd find Christopher Carter. He wasn't going to risk losing Lisa to a psychopath.

**Author's Notes:**

Sorry about the wait! It was half-done and then I got distracted. Anyways, the playlist is up-to-date (as of this chapter). I'm getting ready for final projects right now, so I'm not sure when a new chapter will be up.

You guys rock!


	19. Chapter Eighteen: Too Close for Comfort

**Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye._

**Chapter Eighteen**

"_I gotta get out/Or figure this shit out/It's too close for comfort/It's a thief in the night/To come and grab you/It can creep up inside you/And consume you/A disease of the mind/It can control you/I feel like a monster…Watch out, you might just go under/Better think twice…Your mind is in disturbia/It's like the darkness is the light/Disturbia/Am I scaring you tonight…" ~ __**Disturbia**__ by Rihanna_

Staring down at the body, Aidan Murphy took a deep breath. It wasn't Katherine. His wife was alive. Well, at least at the moment. Now he had to find her before Fiona did.

He knew her tricks, just like she knew his. He preferred Irish names when formulating their identities. Katherine tended to go with C or K names for herself – Caitlin, Kathleen—and used surnames from her favorite authors. Rarely did she use her middle name.

Unfortunately, any names she'd created with him would be useless. So would credit cards. And phone logs. Kat was smarter than that.

Which meant she paid cash everywhere, changed names and locations frequently, and stayed under the radar. But she stood out—a lithe woman with a missing finger and obvious scars did catch attention—even in their circle of friends.

Aidan sighed. He had to narrow down places she'd go. And if Kimberly was dead, then it meant the sisters were running together. And that meant Chris was involved. He could track two women and a boy much easier than a lone woman.

He could only hope Fiona wasn't privy to any real information about Kat.

* * *

Katherine and Chris headed east toward her hometown. She wouldn't set foot in Maryland or even in Virginia. It was too close to home and Aidan. Also too close to Fiona, Jackson, and Lisa. She would go close to home, but not close enough to be home.

She could start over again in Pennsylvania. It was large enough to disappear. Cool enough that she wouldn't have to bare her scars exempt in the summer heat.

Perhaps Chris could even get a pet.

She would keep an eye on the news to make sure Kim was buried under her name. With her death certificate issued, perhaps Fiona would call off her goons. She just needed to stay away from Aidan.

Kat would start over, for Chris's sake, for her sister's memory. Kim wanted a normal life. She wanted to have a normal family. Katherine would led a normal life for her—as normal as she could led without a husband or boyfriend to play "dad" and with a gun tucked under her shirt.

She glanced over in the car's rearview mirror, watching her nephew sleep. What would Fiona do if she found Chris? Would the innocent boy become collateral damage?

_That's not gonna happen. I'll die first. Gladly. And I'll take the bitch with me._

* * *

"Why are you doing this? To me? To Aidan? To Katherine?" Lisa demanded, her right wrist handcuffed to a bedframe. Her left hand circled her stomach.

The Irish woman across the room grinned. "I have nothing against you. I just need your husband to finish a job. When he brings me my son, I'll let you go. It's that simple."

Lisa frowned. Nothing was ever simple, let alone when it came to her life and her friends' lives.

"Why won't you leave Katherine alone?"

Fiona laughed. "Oh, Lisa, Lisa, Lisa. It's not about her. Not really. It's about anyone who gets in my way and steals my family. You're going to be a mother soon—how would you like it if someone stole your family? Your child? Your husband? What would you do to get them back?"

"Not this. Never this," she insisted. "If he was happy somewhere else, I'd let him be happy."

"That's the thing. Aidan isn't happy. He wants me. He ALWAYS wanted me. Only me."

She rounded the bed, her outfit nothing more than a few pieces of fabric. Lisa couldn't picture Aidan, Mr. Sensitive and Caring, with such a trashy woman. It wasn't like him. He was too good for her.

_"He's been through a lot. His family's messed up—his mother's a psychopath and his father a serial killer. His own brother attacked him and left him for dead in an alley. We both fixed each other…"_

"No, he's not. He loves Kat. I've seen it," Lisa insisted, wishing she could be as strong as her friend. "He's never even mentioned you."

"Listen to me, Lisa… if you want to live long enough to see your baby, you'll shut up or I'll shut you up. Permanently."

Judging by the deadly look in her eye, the stone cold hatred, Fiona meant her threat. She shouldn't expect anything less from the woman who stabbed her best friend while she slept. Fiona slit Kat's throat for no reason other than jealousy.

"You don't have a child," Lisa said softly.

"Of course I do. Aidan and I have a son. His name is Chris. He's a miniature of his father. I sent him away for his own good. I wasn't ready to raise a kid once Aidan left me."

"Chris? Your son is named Chris?"

_"I can't have kids. The poison—it's destroyed any chance I had at being a mother. The closest I'll come is Chris. Aidan adores him. Of course, it's strange, since they look so much alike."_

_"Why do they?"_

_Katherine looked at her, sighing. "Chris is my sister's son. But his father—his father is Aidan's dad. Sick, right? My husband's half-brother is my nephew…"_

"Just a normal name. Aidan would have given him some Irish name. I chose Chris—nice and simple. Chris Larsen. I didn't give him his father's name out of spite. I'm past that now. I'm ready to be a mother to our son."

"Does Aidan want this?" Lisa asked, sitting up a bit straighter on the bed. "Did you ask him?"

"He's identifying that whore's body as we speak. We're rich now. All of her money and her dad's company—it's ours. It's all ours."

Lisa shut her eyes for a moment. Fiona was twisted beyond belief. No wonder Jackson wanted to stay away from her and told Aidan to play along. The woman was insane! Chris wasn't even Aidan's son! And Kat didn't "steal" Aidan—he left Fiona and fell in love with Kat. Killing her to get revenge, avoid a divorce, and inherit millions of dollars was sickening.

Worst of all, there was nothing Lisa could do to stop her. All she could do was hope and pray Jackson was on his way. It was too late to save her friend. It was all she could do to save herself and her unborn child.

**Author's Note:**

I loaded a video focused on Kat and Aidan's past on YouTube. The link's on my author's page.

As a special treat for all the Kat and Aidan fans, plus to apologize for my lateness in updating, here's a bonus chapter that shows Kat and Aidan's first meeting—well, their first official one. Kat's tracking down her birth parents and she was attacked when she tried to prevent a kidnapping. Aidan is watching her on orders from her father. He's post-Fiona about two years. Jack is a nickname for her dad, Jim Carter/Robertson.

* * *

She pushed a plastic bookend in to straighten up a shelf of hardcovers. Katherine bent down to adjust a lower shelf.

"Excuse me…" a voice called from her side.

Kat turned her head, glancing up. "Can I help you?" she asked, slowly standing up. Her badge clinked against the buttons of her flannel shirt.

"I hope so. I'm looking for the true crime section. A friend of mine recommended that I check out Ann Rule…"

"Sure. That's the 364s."

The young man, probably in his twenties, frowned. His hazel eyes didn't leave her. "What's that?"

"Oh, sorry. Library speak. Follow me."

They slipped through the stacks and into the Non-Fiction area. Kat lead him to the 364s—the true crime section of the Dewy Decimal system. "Most of the Ann Rule books are down here." She pointed out a shelf filled with a mixture of thick paperbacks and a few hardcovers. "If there's a certain one you're looking for, you can ask Information for help."

"Thanks," he said, a smile crossing his lips.

Kat couldn't help but smile back. "Enjoy. She's a good writer."

"Is there any certain one you'd recommend I start with? A favorite?"

"Well, I personally like the Crime Files. She usually does a handful of cases in them centered on a theme. Of course there's always _The Stranger Beside Me._ It's all about Ted—"

"Bundy. Yeah, my friend was telling me about that one."

"It's a good one. She actually knew him," Kat said, handing him a paperback. "Another good single case is _Every Breath You Take_."

They reached for the book at the same time, their hands brushing. Kat started to recoil immediately from the contact, except it wasn't painful. His hand was warm, his palms slightly calloused. Gentle, yet tough.

"Sorry," she said, blushing. "I should…"

He smiled again, a lock of pitch-black hair falling into his warm eyes. "It's okay. Thanks for helping…"

"Kat."

"Thanks, Kat," he said.

She smiled and slipped away around the corner. She tripped over a cart wheel and landed face-first on the rough industrial carpeting with a loud bang. Several patrons looked up from their computer screens at the sudden noise.

"You okay?" the guy asked, holding a hand out to help her up.

Kat took it. "Fine. I just… tripped."

He nodded. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yup. Thanks though. For checking."

"No problem. Umm, be careful?"

"I will."

* * *

The rest of her shift passed without incident. She tried not to keep looking down aisles for Ann Rule guy, but she couldn't help it. He wasn't just there for the computers or the graphic novels like most college-aged guys. He wanted actual books—true crime books!—to read.

She could learn to like him easily. But she'd been burned in the past.

Kat collected her bag, waved good-bye to the circulation staff, and slipped out through the back door to her truck. She'd already closed the shutters—metal grates that protected the windows—and tided up the fiction section. The regular staff could handle the rest of the closing procedures without her.

She fished her keys out of her pocket and bent her head down to unlock the door. She fumbled with the lock, dropping the key ring.

She reached down to grab them as a hand gripped her hair and cool steel brushed her temple.

"Scream and I'll kill you," the male hissed behind her.

Her right hand skimmed for her keys, her messenger bag lying on the cement beside her. Gravel sliced at her knuckles, but the metal key ring slipped into her palm. Her fingers closed around the car key.

He pulled her upright. "Gimme the keys. And your purse."

Katherine did neither. She brought her left elbow down into his stomach hard. He grunted, hands tearing at her hair, as he stumbled backward. She bit back a cry as a few pieces came free in his hand.

She punched at him with her right fist. Her car key dragged across his check, causing him to hiss in pain.

_Run… Run!_

Her sneakers slapped against the pavement as she heard the gun go off in the distance. Muttered curses floated across the air as she disappeared into the trees, her truck and bag forgotten.

Her leg was still stiff from the knife fight she'd been in. She felt the stitches pull at her skin as she ran.

Katherine pressed her back against a tree, her heart pounding in her throat. She was a few hundred yards from the police station. If she could make it there, she would be safe. The police could escort her back to her truck. Yes, that's what she needed to do.

She stepped out of the trees and into the street.

A car horn blared, headlights flashing in her face. Kat didn't get a chance to scream before the impact.

* * *

Aidan Murphy and his partner, Marc Pearson, shared a look when they heard a gunshot. Both men jumped out of their parked sedan. Murphy took off like a shot, pulling his gun from the waistband of his jeans as he ran down a brick path to the back parking lot.

A lithe figure dressed in dark pants and a flannel shirt crossed in front of a streetlight and into the cover of a thin line of trees.

Murphy jumped off the path and into the trees.

She darted past him and through the other side, where the street was. He followed on her heels, his gun tucked back into his waistband. He couldn't risk accidently shooting her.

Headlights flashed and a car horn honked. Murphy tackled her, the two of them rolling past the oncoming car and into the turning lane. More horns honked as the car whizzed by.

He looked down at her, her shirt torn and her face scratched. Judging by her rapid heartbeat, she was still alive.

"You okay?" he asked, helping her to her feet. They couldn't keep lying in the street. Someone would hit them eventually.

She nodded, her hands shaking as he helped her stand.

"It's… you…" she said, staring at him in confusion.

"Yeah, Kat, right?" he said easily.

"Yeah. What are you…?"

"I was leaving. I heard a gunshot."

"Oh…"

He led her over to the sidewalk in front of the library. "Here… you're in shock. What happened?"

"I was… mugged…"

"Did you see the guy?"

She shook her head, dark curls capturing his eyes. The years hadn't changed her. She looked as stunning as she had the day he pulled her out of Glebe Bay.

"It's okay. I'm sure the cops are coming."

"I was just trying to get away… I left my bag…"

"Hey, don't worry about it. He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No…"

He smiled at her. "See? That's lucky."

"I guess."

"Look, my friend was waiting out in the parking lot. Do you think you can walk?"

"I can try…"

Aidan draped her arm around his shoulders. "Here. Hold onto me."

She did, her arm tightening around his neck. He didn't mind as his right arm went around her waist. She flinched a bit at his touch.

"You okay?"

"Yeah… thanks to you. That car…"

"It almost nailed you."

"I thought I was dead."

"Nah, not this time."

They stepped back under a streetlight. Marc jogged into view, sweat on his brow. "What happened?" he shouted.

"A near hit-and-run. Pavement is not forgiving," Aidan explained, helping Kat sit on the curb beside the library's mailbox. They were around a corner in the private back lot, away from the traffic that nearly killed her.

She stretched her left leg out, rubbing it. In the yellow light, he could see the deep gash. Rocks were mixed into the skin.

"Who are you guys?" she asked.

"We're friends of the Robertsons. Don't worry—we're not here to hurt you. Jack asked us to keep an eye out for you. He told us about your little run-in…" Aidan admitted.

"So you're stalking me?"

"No, no! Think of us like bodyguards. Of sorts. Sorry, I'm really not explaining this very well, am I?"

"Not at all," she said, wincing as she moved her leg.

"Look, umm, do you want us to call the cops?"

"Did he get away?"

Marc stepped closer. "I'm sorry. He's quick."

"And my bag?"

"Gone."

Her blue eyes focused back on Murphy. "Call them. And Jack. There's something I need to ask him. It's about Lisa."


	20. Chapter Nineteen: Won't Sleep Tonight

**Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_. If I did, I wouldn't be broke.

**Chapter Nineteen**

"_I'm afraid I won't get out alive/No I won't sleep tonight/Oh, oh I want some more/Oh, oh what are you waiting for/What are you waiting for/Take a bite of my heart tonight…It's getting heavy and I want to run and hide/I want to run and hide/I do it every time/You're killing me now…" __**Animal**__ by Neon Trees_

Tick. Tock. Tick.

The hands on his watch counted off the seconds as they went round and round. Tick. Tick. Tock.

Each passing second brought him closer to the edge. Each second was another second the woman he loved spent in the grip of a madwoman. Fiona would become bored with her prey soon enough. She always had in the past.

Jackson Rippner took a deep breath and tried to clear his mind. To focus. To figure out where Katherine would have her sister run. Where would a woman and a young child go? He doubted they left the country—there wasn't time for the passports, unless Katherine set those up in advance.

Somewhere safe. That meant there was no connection to either sister.

He crossed off both California and Maryland. Katherine wasn't stupid. She'd never send her sister to either haunt. Slowly, he cancelled out other cities—holiday hot spots they'd gone to, business trips Katherine made frequently, and any J. Carter and Associates safe house he could recall.

The Mid-West seemed the most likely candidate, given that most of Katherine's contacts were on the East Coast, and Kimberly's on the West.

Except, she would relocate regularly. That's what he'd do.

Her last known position was the hospital she died in. With that location burned, Kimberly and Chris would flee far.

Blue eyes swept over the map, searching for the logical pattern. There had to be a reason. Katherine always planned ahead—she always had a reason for her moves—even on a simple shopping trip she plotted her routes out.

Safe ground. With her sister dead, Kimberly would seek shelter near home. What better place to hide than in plain view? She'd be close, but not close enough, to her family. Which meant she'd be near her father or Aidan.

Both sisters were stubborn, but Jackson remembered how Kim worshipped Aidan. Could Kat have changed her mind about him? Or would Kim still see him as her brother and the man who loved her sister?

Kat trusted her life to her father. She was daddy's girl. She'd go to the company for support in an absolute crisis. Kimberly didn't have the same connection to Jim. She trusted her sister and Aidan. With Katherine dead, Kim would run start for the second-best—Aidan.

Which would lead her straight to Fiona.

* * *

A small apartment in Virginia became a temporary base for Katherine. She bought a few small items—some new toys and games for Chris, clothes for them both, a few paperbacks for herself—and tried to make it homey. Nothing too important or sentimental of course.

Their bags stayed packed in a closet, in case they needed to run. Kat also kept a well-stocked first aid kit nearby. It was an old habit from years of dodgy work.

"C'mon, little man. Time for bed!" Kat called into the living room.

"Five more minutes!"

"Now, dude."

He glared at her and set down his game. "I liked you better as Aunt Katy."

Kat closed her eyes for a moment. She wasn't his mother—she would never be as sweet as Kim—but, damnit, she was the closest thing he had to a parent. That meant bedtimes, brushing teeth, and eating half-way decent meals.

"Bed, now," she said softer, kissing the top of his head. "Love ya."

He didn't respond.

Kat turned off most of the lights and reached for the mini laptop she'd got at a Wal-mart a few hundred miles away. Even without internet in the apartment, Kat needed a computer. She composed new identities and forged paperwork on a computer. Of course, forging on the run was never recommended, but she could get by with the basics when it came to identities.

She had connections to get blanks—which she snitched by hacking a database on a Wi-Fi network during lunch—and kept that on her computer's hard drive. Occasionally she would do some hacking while out on the town to redo their identities in databases as well as on paper. Sometimes she had to go into old moldy records or microfiche for names.

Either way, Chris didn't seem to mind having a new name every few days. It was an adventure to him—until she started acting like a mother. That's when his mood went sour.

She expected rebellion—God knows she was hell on wheels as a teenager—from him, but she wasn't quite prepared to be a mother to a son who already had one. It broke her heart to take Kim's place.

She looked down at her stomach, feeling the flat belly. Chris was her only shot at being a parent. The doctors all said it was impossible for her to conceive after the poisoning. Even if she hadn't been poisoned, they doubted she would have carried a baby to term.

Too much trauma to her system, they all said.

She wasn't even supposed to be alive.

_"You're pregnant? You're sure about this?" Aidan asked, his voice younger._

_ "I took like three tests. I'm sure."_

_ Katherine paced the tiny dorm room, her fingers twisting in her short black hair. Aidan pinched his nose, sitting at her desk. "God, Kat. This is—I need some time to think. I mean… we've only been together for a year. This is serious."_

_ "What are you saying?"_

_ "I need some time, Kat. I don't want to rush anything."_

_ "Let me guess, you don't want a kid. You just enjoy fucking the boss's daughter. That's all I ever was," she snapped. "Well guess what—I don't want to see you. Get the hell out of my room!"_

_ "Kat—"_

_ "Get out!"_

"Aunt Katy?" a small voice called, breaking her concentration.

"What's a matter, bud?"

He shuffled toward her. "I had a nightmare."

"C'mere." She pulled him onto her lap. "What was it about?"

"There's a monster in my room."

"A monster? What kind of monster?"

A shadowy figure stepped into the room from Chris's room. "It's the monster!" he screamed, clinging to her, his little arms around her neck.

Immediately, she stepped back, clinging to Chris. Her hand reached for a gun.

The monster moved forward, staying to the shadows.

"Hello, Katherine. How've you been?" a male voice said as a light flicked on, illuminating a man wearing a suit. He was holding a gun with a silencer.

"Are you here to kill me?" Kat whispered, holding Chris closer.

The man smiled. "That depends on you."

**Author's Notes:**

Who saw that coming? Huh? Anyone?

The next chapter will have more action, I promise. We're nearing the finish line—about six chapters to go—and Fiona isn't done yet.

Kat's struggle is an important part of the story since she has to decide where her loyalties lie and how far she'll go to protect those she cares about. Aidan's got a similar struggle. So do Jackson and Lisa. We'll see more of them in the next chapter.

Thanks for the continued reviews! You all rock. Here's a hint for the next chapter—the song's _Judas_ by Lady Gaga.

Lily94 – Agreed! Thanks for the review!


	21. Chapter Twenty: He Betrays Me

**Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything.

**Chapter Twenty**

"_Forgive him when his tongue lies through his brain/Even after three times he betrays me…I'm just a holy fool/Oh baby, he's so cruel/But I'm still in love with Judas, baby…I want to love you/But something's pulling me away from you/Jesus is my virtue/And Judas is the demon I cling to/I cling to…" ~__** Judas**__ by Lady Gaga_

"Jack? What are you—how did you find me?"

Her muscles relaxed a bit. It was only Jack. He'd never hurt her. He knew her father. They were old friends. Hell, she was an old friend. They all were.

"You're supposed to be dead," he said simply, still holding a gun. "Everything I've read says you're dead."

"Jack, darling, death is never what it seems. You of all people should know that."

His blue eyes were ice cold. She hadn't seen him this serious in a long time. "Why does it matter if I'm dead or not?" she pushed.

"Because, Katherine dear, I'm just supposed to kill your sister—not you. Just Kimberly. Now I'll give you a choice. Leave now and run—run far away—or I'll have to kill you."

* * *

Aidan headed to the airport, all the while trying to figure out where his wife would go. She clearly was posing as her sister now—which is why he confirmed the deceased as Katherine Robertson—and would act like her.

Kim would go home. She always ran to family or friends. Usually she ran to her best friend, Damion Black, or her sister. Damion was out of the country on a trip with his girlfriend and unreachable. Kat was playing Kim, so she couldn't exactly run to her dead self. Which meant she would turn to him before her father.

Katherine would head home before long. She had no choice as her sister. She would approach him—most likely at her own funeral.

With his head spinning, and his stomach twisted in knots, Aidan Murphy booked a flight back East and made arrangements for the body to accompany him. The medical examiner agreed to release her body to him as next of kin. Her death was "natural" thanks to the cancer, meaning there was no full autopsy or need for one.

He paid for the ticket, thanked the salesperson, and headed off to make the notification calls to his relatives—namely the company and Kat's father. It was time to confirm their worst fears.

* * *

Chris' fingers dug into her skin. Katherine shifted his weight, rubbing his back to soothe him. "And Chris?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"He has to come with me."

She shook her head, stepping back from her old friend. "No. He stays with me."

"Katherine, if I don't bring him to that psycho, she'll execute _my_ child. Could you live with that?"

"What the hell are you talking about, Rippner? What child?"

He sank into a chair, completely at ease in her place. Demented ex-killer, ex-manager that he was, Jackson slipped back into his old habits easily. Very easy—it was almost reptilian.

"Lisa's pregnant."

"Congrats. When's the baby due?" Kat said, her voice very even and flat. She didn't sound happy or enthused despite the news.

"Soon. We found out not long after you disappeared."

"And Lisa's baby has what to do with Chris?"

"Fiona's taken her. She's threatening to kill them both—or cut our child from Lisa. That's why I need Chris."

"Why does she want him?" Kat held the young boy possessively. "I mean, he's not important—"

"She's gotten into her head that Chris is Aidan's son—more specifically _her_ and Aidan's son. She wants to raise him. It's a twisted family, but she's sick in the head, Kat…"

"I know. I've got the scars, remember?"

Chris whimpered in her arms. "It's okay buddy, I'm not gonna let anything happen to you."

"I told you there was a monster…"

"I know and you're so right. He's a very scary monster. But I'll protect you."

"Promise?" he asked, tears in his blue eyes.

"Pinky promise."

Chris laid his head on her shoulder, seeming to fall asleep in her arms. She looked up at Jackson. "I need you to leave now. We need our rest."

"Maybe you do, but I need Lisa back. Do you understand what I'm talking about at all? This is life and death!"

"Shut up, Jack. I lost my husband, my life, my future, and my sister because of Fiona. You can wait until the morning. Leave now."

"Katherine—"

"I mean it, Jack. I can't deal with this right now. If you care at all, you'll give me some time to think."

"You mean time to run," he snarled, stepping closer.

"Don't make me shoot you."

"I'm sorry, Katherine. I wanted to do this the easy way, really. I was going to cover up your death. Now I've got no choice. I'll have to kill you."

He pressed the gun against her forehead. Katherine looked right into his eyes, blue meeting blue, almost as if she was daring him to pull the trigger.

"Last chance, Katherine."

She didn't let go of Chris, her hand covering one ear while the other ear rested against her chest and neck. She made no move to run or fight off her old friend. "Go ahead. I'm already dead. But know this—Aidan will never forgive you and neither will Lisa."

Jackson pulled the trigger.

* * *

Aidan kept his sunglasses on throughout the service despite being under a tent. His suit was all black—he even wore a black button-down and a black tie—like most of his clothes. He didn't say much, even to his father-in-law. Jim had climbed inside the bottle once more, mourning his daughter's death.

Katherine was beloved around the offices of J. Carter and Associates. Employees came out in droves to support her family and say their good-byes. Among them was his former partner and good friend, Marc Pearson.

"I can't believe she's gone," the former Fed breathed, standing beside him.

"Everyone dies eventually," Aidan said softly.

"Yeah, sure, but this isn't everyone—it's Kit Kat. I mean, she's unkillable. She's a fighter. How are you just… accepting this? Why aren't you protesting or digging her up or something?"

"Because she's gone, Marc. I can't bring her back by throwing a hissy fit. She's used up her lives."

Marc shook his head in disbelief. "I told everyone there was no way you were such an asshole. I defended you even with all the chatter. I stood up for you, Murphy! How the fuck could you do this to her? To Katy—goddamn you, Murphy! I never thought you'd be the one to kill your own wife for money!"

Aidan stood still throughout the accusation. He deserved it. There really was no defense. If he tried to stand up for himself, Fiona might hear. He couldn't fix his reputation without revealing Katherine. He wouldn't do that to her.

He still needed to find her. He had to play both sides. Fiona needed to see him as the grieving widowerer. Marc needed to see him as an asshole if that covered up the plan. Everyone needed to believe the body in the casket was Katherine. No one, not even Jim, could know it was Kimberly.

And as Marc punched him in the jaw, Aidan barely blinked. He was already suffering mentally—what difference did a few exterior wounds make?

**Author's Notes:**

There are two 'Judas' in this chapter—Jackson and Aidan. Aidan has betrayed Katherine by going back to Fiona—but he also left Fiona for Kat before. And Jackson is about to betray his friend and serve her up to Fiona. Lots of double-crossing this time around.

There's more Fiona and Lisa to come in the next chapter. I'm going to try and have this tied up by early July. We're in the last stretch. If you have any burning questions, now's the time to ask!

Also, while you're waiting for updates, fans of the tv show _Heroes_ can check out "Unbreakable" – a PeterxCaitlin AU story. I'm also doing a _Heroes/Doctor Who_ crossover that deals with bringing Caitlin back to the future—really, the future, not the movie, promise—and attempting to stop the virus in "A Crack in Time". Those stories and others can be found on my author's page. Thanks for reading!


	22. Chapter Twentyone: Giving Up This Game

**Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or Jackson and Lisa. Kat, Aidan, and Fi are mine.

**Chapter Twenty-one**

"_Don't just walk away/Pretending everything's okay/And you don't care about me/And I know it's just no use/When all your lies become your truths/And I don't care…You took all there was to take/And left me with an empty plate/And you don't care about it/Yeah/And I am giving up this game/And leaving you with all the blame/'Cause I don't care/Could you look me in the eye/And tell me that you're happy now?/Could you tell it to my face/Have I been erased?…" ~ __**Are You Happy Now? **__by Michelle Branch_

"She's dead," Jackson said into a phone. He glanced down at the body sprawled face-down on the apartment floor in a pool of blood. "I confirmed her identity."

On the other end, he could swear he heard Fiona smiling. "It's her? Kimberly's dead?"

"I have Chris with me. We're going to be leaving in a few hours."

"Good. I'm still waiting to hear about Katherine."

"Fine. Can I talk to Lisa now?" he grumbled, not caring about what else Fiona planned. He wanted to hear from his wife-to-be. He needed proof she was still alive.

"I don't know… she might not want to talk to you."

"Give Lisa the phone or I'll shoot your son. Don't push me, Fiona. I'm not Aidan. I'm not fucking you anymore."

"Your loss," the Irish woman said. "Oh, Lisa, dear… do you want to talk to your killer—I mean, Jack."

There was a bit of noise as the phone changed hands.

"Jack?" Lisa said, sounding uncertain and weak.

"I'm so sorry. I should've—"

"It's okay. We didn't know. We couldn't have," she promised. "I'm okay. The baby's fine. We're fine. Are you?"

"I had to do it, Leese. Please forgive me."

"Forgive you? What did you do?"

"I killed her. It was her or you. I chose you. I'm doing everything I can to save you."

"Who did you kill?"

He looked down at the woman's body again. There was no sense in lying to her. He had to tell her the truth—at least as much of the truth as he could. "I killed Kat."

"What?"

"Hang in there, Leese, baby. I'm coming for you, okay? I won't let that bitch hurt you."

"You killed her? How could you?"

"I had to choose. I chose you. I always will choose you," he promised, snapping the phone closed. "Forgive me… I did what I had to do."

Jackson clicked on the camera phone and snapped a photo of Chris. The kid was asleep, thanks to a dose of Benadryl. It was the best thing he could do. The kid didn't need to see this mess. Chris seemed freaked out enough by his appearance.

He snapped a few shots of the body, including some shots of her face mostly covered in blood. Proof of death for bloodthirsty Fi.

He sent them all on to the psycho behind the orders, and sat down.

"Sorry, Kat," he whispered.

An eye opened, narrowed into a tiny slit at him. "Fuck you, Jack."

He held out a hand. "Let's get you cleaned up. Fiona's convinced."

"Really? She didn't ask for my head on a plate?" the woman mocked, clearly alive despite the smattering of blood on her.

"She only thought you were Kim. She sent Aidan to view your supposed body. She didn't give a shit about your sister."

"Course not."

Jackson handed her a wet towel. She started to wipe the blood off, revealing a mostly clean face. Her left arm, however, looked a bit mangled.

"Did you really have to cut so deep?" he asked, examining the long gash.

She squinted at him. "It had to look real, remember? I'm sorry but I left my fake blood at home. This was the best I could do on short notice."

"You could've bled out."

Katherine scoffed, wiping off more blood. "Give me a little credit, okay? I used to cut. I know what I'm doing."

"Yeah, you always did weird things. Like breaking your own wrist…"

"Hey, I got out, didn't I?"

He sighed. "You're impossible."

"You started it!"

"Come off it—the gun wasn't even loaded!"

"Well how I was I supposed to know?" she snapped, tightening the bandage on her forearm. Her shirt was drenched with blood. She quickly stripped it off. "Besides, that shot wasn't exactly quiet."

"The cops haven't come yet."

She pulled on a fresh shirt. "They will be. We need to go."

"What about the blood?"

Katherine looked at him. "Toss things around. Break a picture frame or two. Then grab the bleach—try to clean up. It'll destroy the DNA and blood type and swirl the mess around like you started to cover it up."

"So stage it?"

"Pretty much. I'll drop blood on the way out, so it can be like you moved my body."

"How do you that'll—"

"College, manager boy. While you were planning hits, I was playing killer with fake blood. Blood spatter analysis was one of my experiments. Also, I learned to think like a cop. Trust me, if I want to, I can pull off the perfect murder."

He shivered at the very idea. He didn't doubt it for a minute. When Kat put her mind to something, there wasn't any stopping her. Ever.

_Memo to self… never, ever piss her off again…_

* * *

Aidan stripped off his tie before dialing her number. "It's done."

"Really? Oh, baby…"

"They're suspicious. Well, everyone but Jim. He's too drunk to notice anything, even if it flattened him like a bug."

"That's my boy…" Fiona purred. "When are you coming home?"

"The will's going to be read later today. I'll make all the arrangements for the money and then I'm coming back once I box up things. Have to make it believable. Grieving husband and all that shit."

"Hurry back. I miss you."

"Same here," Aidan lied. "See you soon, babe."

She made a kissing sound. "Call me later."

"I will. Love ya."

He ended the call before he heard her reply. He couldn't help but feel a bit sick to his stomach. He'd just buried his sister-in-law under his wife's name. As far as everyone else was concerned, Katherine was in the one in the casket.

Aidan paced the tiny rental place. He'd purposefully picked an old location about fifty miles from his own home. He couldn't be there right now. People assumed it was that the house reminded him of Kat.

That was a factor, but not as much as the guilt. He couldn't look at his friends anymore. The looks of hatred and disgust from people he'd trusted stung.

He was sick of his double-life. He wanted it done.

Aidan wanted Fiona dead. Dead and buried far underground.

* * *

Jackson carried Chris up the stairs. "What is this place?" he grumbled.

They'd been in the car for a good hour and a half with Katherine behind the wheel. She drove like a manic, as usual, but refused to tell him where they were heading and why.

"A hideout. Well, it's a cheap rental. No one ever uses it. Aidan and I copied the key years ago on a job. Actually, we stayed here after Elektra…"

"Drowned you, I remember," Jackson said. "Broke your dad's heart. He called me overseas to tell me they fished you out dead. You did die, right?"

"Yeah, that was like my third death," the woman sighed, running her hand down a wall crevice. "Maybe my fourth. Good old CPR…"

He shifted the sleeping boy's weight.

Kat unlocked a door with a tiny key. Two turns and they were inside.

She went to flip the switch, except it was already on. Jackson frowned. "Didn't you say no one—"

She shot him a dirty look. "I did. Give me your gun."

"No!"

"Give… me… your gun…" she hissed.

"Fine."

She gripped the steel piece with her right hand and started a sweep. At the same time, a board creaked further inside the tiny place. Someone was there.

Another gun barrel cut through the air to meet Katherine. Gun faced gun. Wife faced husband.

"Katy?" a man called.

"Un-fucking-believable," she breathed. "I don't know whether to kiss you or kill you."

"I vote for a kiss."

Katherine stared at her estranged husband. "Kiss this."

She raised the gun toward his head when Jackson stepped in, forcing her arm down. "Knock it off, Kat. We don't have time for your petty antics."

"We always did think alike, didn't we, Katy?" Aidan said with a half-smile.

"We never did. I don't even know who you are anymore."

He stepped toward her. She aimed the gun at his heart. Aidan froze, dressed in all black. He honestly looked like hell. He deserved it after all the lies and torment he put her through.

"Kat, please… put the gun down…"

"No. Where's that bitch? Is she with you? Did you bring her here?"

"What? No—Kat—"

"That's not my name," she snapped, even as Jackson touched her shoulder.

"Babe—" Aidan tried again.

Jackson leaned in. "Calm down. Let him talk."

"You don't get to talk either. You shot me not too long ago."

"You shot my wife?" Aidan shouted. "Damnit, Rippner, that's too far—"

The younger man lunged at Jackson, guns forgotten. Kat stepped in between them both, going back and forth with her gun from Jack to Aidan. "Hey, stop it. We're all gonna sit in separate corners, okay? If anyone's hurting anyone… I call dibs," she insisted.

Aidan stepped back reluctantly. Jackson sat easily, still holding Chris. Kat stayed somewhere in the middle, even though part of her wanted to kill them both.

"Now, where the fuck is Fiona?"

"Haven't a clue," Aidan admitted. Jackson just shrugged.

"Tell her to get her skanky ass over here. I'm sick of this. It needs to end. I'm sick of running."

"I told you I'd protect you," Aidan said.

Jackson snorted. "I thought the same thing. But you know what? She got to Lisa. You want to know why I shot her? Your girlfriend took my wife. My pregnant wife."

"Look, I just buried someone today…"

"Oh, the black isn't a fashion choice?" Kat mocked.

"And everyone thinks it's you," Aidan said softly, looking at her. "Kat, please… I'm trying to save you. But I can't do that if you keep pulling away…"

She shook her head. "I have to protect Chris. Kim made me promise to take care of him. That's all that matters right now. You and me… we're through. That's it."

"You can't be serious…"

"I'm dead serious, Aidan. I don't want to see you. I just want to get rid of Fiona. She's got my best friend. Once Lisa's free and Fiona's dead, I'm gone."

"But—"

"I mean it, Aidan. I'm through. We're done. You don't like it… too bad."

"Katherine—"

She aimed at gun at him. "You'll either help me or I'll kill you."

His hazel eyes looked into hers. His were filled with disbelief and betrayal. "I never meant to hurt you, you have to know that…"

"Doesn't matter. It's too late now."

**Author's Notes:**

This was an awkward chapter to write. Part of me wanted Kat to leap into Aidan's arms, but part of me knew that she was too pissed to trust him right now. Hopefully it all makes sense.


	23. Chapter Twentytwo: Slowly Let Me Drown

**Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_. If I did, I'd have made a sequel by now.

**Chapter Twenty-two**

"_I was a heavy heart to carry/My beloved was weighed down/My arms around his neck…And he took me to the river/Where he slowly let me drown…And is it worth the wait/All this killing time?/Are you strong enough to stand/Protecting both your heart and mine?/Who is the betrayer/Who's the killer in the crowd?/The one who creeps in corridors/And doesn't make a sound…I was a heavy heart to carry/But he never let me down/When he held me in his arms/My feet never touched the ground…" ~__**Heavy in Your Arms**__ by Florence + the Machine_

"Kat, Katy…" Aidan fumbled his words as he stared down the barrel at the woman he loved. The only woman he truly loved.

He knew the gun was loaded. Katherine learned from the best when it came to firearms. And right now, judging by the pain on her face, she was more than ready to pull the trigger.

"It's never too late…not for us." Aidan protested. "Katy, please—"

"This will never work—us being together. I can't ever trust you again. Not after this. And I can't ask you to trust me. We're in two different places. I have a child to raise and you have a psychotic bitch." The gun in her hand shook a bit.

"Is this all about Fiona?" he asked, moving backward slowly. He took a seat on a couch, trying to be non-threatening.

"No, it's about the fucking Karadashians—of course it's about Fiona!"

Aidan watched her hand tremble. He sighed, approaching her. His hand covered hers as he flipped on the safety. Not taking his hand off hers, he explained, "I was messed up back then. She was the first person I loved. The first person who didn't care that I had no memories. She was damaged and I wanted to fix her."

She snorted. "You and your savior complex."

"It wasn't like that. I thought I loved her. But then my job became more important and I met your father. I realized that it meant more than figuring out who I was. I had talent, like you, and I wanted to help people with it."

"Did you really not know anything?"

He nodded. "The group I was living with… that saved me… they found me in an alley. I was dying. The beating that landed me there damaged my memory, given the head trauma. They protected me, helped me, and let me create my own history. That's how I became Aidan Murphy."

"And Fiona?"

"She was my partner. We worked together. Lived together."

"And you slept together."

"Yes, but when I left, I didn't look back. I never said good-bye. I never bothered. I forget her. Honestly, I didn't think about her again. Once I met you…"

She pulled free, the Glock dangling in her grip. "It's too late, Aidan. Don't you get it? She attacked me. Stabbed me. Poisoned me. I lost everything! And you know why? Because I fell for you! This is all your fault!"

Aidan paused, not knowing how to respond. Not to this.

"Katherine, I never meant to hurt you or Kim or Lisa. Never."

She turned her back to him. "It's too late. I don't love you anymore."

"It's not, Kat. I love you."

"Lisa's life is at risk. Her child as well. I can't keep running with Chris. If Jackson can find me, anyone can. I have to kill her. That's all that matters. Once I kill Fiona, I never see you again. Understand?"

"Kat, please…"

"No. I mean it. Never again, Aidan. Go ahead, claim the company. Claim my money. I don't care. I just never want to see you again. If I do…" She raised the gun again. "I'm using this. Got it?"

Jackson cleared his throat. "I put the kid to bed. I should check in with the evil blood-sucking bitch…"

"Do it," Kat agreed. "Tell her you're coming. It'll make things easier for us. Her defenses will be down."

"I should get back to the mansion," Aidan said, moving toward the door. "They'll be waiting for me."

"Good. I can't wait to end this."

"Katherine, go take a pill," Jackson suggested. "You're a little too emotional. I'll keep watch."

She snorted again in disbelief. "And kill me when I turn my back. Yeah, no thanks."

"She thinks you're dead. So why would I waste my time killing you now?" he hissed. "I mean, honestly, you're not someone I want to mess with."

"Thanks for nothing," she muttered. "I mean it, Jack."

The door closed as Aidan left.

* * *

Jackson couldn't help but be slightly amused by Kat and Aidan's standoff. He could almost see himself and Lisa doing battle in her father's house many months ago. He watched for several minutes in silence before making himself none.

Tension electrified the air. Hatred. Lust. It was all there.

Normally, Kat was rational. Right now she was the betrayed woman—betrayed by those who should know better. By the man she loved. And the friend who saved her life.

Jackson honestly wouldn't blame her if she shot them both. He didn't care as long as Lisa and their child lived. Right now he wasn't the friend who knew her father from several years ago. He wasn't the guy who helped Kat as she lay dying on the bank floor.

He was a man trying to protect his family—his fiancée and his unborn child. He couldn't be responsible for Katherine and Aidan's problems.

Even Kat's verbal barbs didn't hurt.

"I didn't kill you, did I? If you help me get Lisa back, I'll help you kill Fiona."

"Deal," Kat said, sticking out her hand to shake his.

* * *

"This will all be over soon," Fiona sang, her hand ghosting across Lisa's stomach. "He's coming back to me. And my son is on his way. It's going to amazing… we're going to be a family. My son, my Aidan…"

Lisa bit her lip, trying to keep the tears back. "Please, let me go."

"Not yet… and even… probably not then. I think… I'm just going to take your baby… bury your body, and shoot Jackie boy when he shows up with my son."

"We're doing everything you want…"

Fiona sighed, a knife in her hand. "I will have my family. My Aidan. My son. And… your baby. You see, I can't have children…never could. And that little skank could. But now she's dead. Her trampy sister as well."

Lisa felt pain shooting through her stomach and it wasn't because of the knife, even though it was fairly close.

It was deeper than that, more painful.

"Fiona, listen… I understand how much you love Aidan. I feel the same way about Jack. That's why you have to let me go."

"I can't. You know too much…"

She closed her eyes, riding a wave of pain. _Please, not now, not now…_

"Please… you have to do this. Aidan would want you—"

"Don't you tell me what he wants!" Fiona snarled. "You don't know him like I do!"

Lisa whimpered, watching the knife slip closer to her stomach. "He was my friend. He was my friend…they were both my friends…"

"That's why you have to die. You helped her hook her claws into my husband! You both did!"

The knife cut into her stomach, drawing blood to the surface. Lisa screamed, begging for mercy, for her child, for Jackson. Anything to make the pain stop. Anything.

But Fiona, with a strange glint in her eyes, drew the knife across her stomach, exposing internal organs and her uterus in a mockery of a C-section. A bloody, unmedicated C-section. It was clear that Fiona Larsen always planned to kill her.

She would never get to say good-bye to Jackson. She would never get to hold her child. Everyone she knew, everyone she loved, would die at this psycho's hand.

**Author's Notes:**

A bit disjointed, I know, but it was a tricky chapter written over two months. I can't believe Lisa's been so absent lately. Clearly Fiona's very unhinged. But three pissed off people are teaming up together to bring her down.

Up next, Aidan deals with Kat's estate. We're almost done, I promise.

Lily94- Fiona's going to meet her match very soon. There's Kat, Aidan, and Jackson who all want her blood. It's going to be a fight to her death. Kat and Aidan will get better over time, but not at this second. Thanks!


	24. Chapter Twentythree: Numb the Pain

**Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_.

**Chapter Twenty-three**

"_Don't waste your time/It's never enough for you baby/Don't want to play your game anymore/No matter what you say/I'm all out of love for you, baby/And now that I've tried everything/I'll numb the pain/'Til I'm made of stone…" ~ __**Made of Stone**__ by Evanescence _

Looking at Katherine's father across the room hurt. Seeing the older man, one who treated him like a son, appear broken-hearted, cut deep. Aidan wanted to tell him that Katherine was still alive—that she'd held a gun to his head less than ten hours ago—but he couldn't. He needed to play along to convince Fiona.

At the same time, he was struck by the similarities between father and daughter. Except, while Kat had been stone-cold sober, her father was already half in the bottle of scotch dangling from his fingertips. Both were strong-willed individuals. Both fought for what they loved. Katherine carried the same genes as Jim—the genes and talent that made her a force to be reckoned with. Jim taught her how to run.

Hell, Jim ran for almost twenty years before his past caught up to him. If it hadn't been for Chris, Aidan knew Katherine would have been long gone. She could have run forever alone. Kat wouldn't do that to a young kid.

Of course, running got them all into this mess. He fled Fiona and his friends for a new and better life. Then he started running with his wife and never looked back. He buried the past.

Katherine paid dearly for his mistakes. Now her best friend might pay with her life.

_Their_ best friend. Lisa saved her life with Jackson's help. He owed them.

Then, once they were safe, he'd let Katherine walk away. He was sick of running.

* * *

Hours ticked away as Katherine nursed a bottle of whiskey she'd found in a cabinet. Jackson didn't reprimand her. He didn't seem to care as he stretched out on the couch.

"You think she's still alive?" Kat asked, breaking the tense silence.

"Leese? Are you kidding me? You have met her, right?"

A wry smile crossed Kat's face as she took another swig. The buzz and burn of the liquor felt good. It had been a long time since she'd gotten properly drunk. Tonight she wasn't a happy, giggly drunk. Tonight she was a woman preparing for battle.

One that preferred to enjoy a last drink or seven before facing the twisted bitch behind her injuries and her friend's kidnapping.

"At least you aren't married. She can't stab her with a wedding knife."

Jackson shifted, sitting up. "You don't have to come tomorrow. You should stay here with the kid."

She shook her head. "Jack, you've known me for years. What makes you think I'm going to stay behind? She took everything from me. My husband. My life. I'm going to be there when she dies. I want my face to be the last thing she sees."

"Then I suggest you get some sleep."

"Go fuck yourself."

He ripped the bottle from her grasp. "I'm cutting you off. Lisa and my child need you focused tomorrow. Not drunk. You can drink after I have her back."

"You're a bastard."

Jackson smirked at her, his blue eyes a bit weary. "Some things never change. Like the fact that when you raise your voice, Aidan runs away like a whipped puppy."

"And you tried to kill Lisa how many times?" the petite woman snapped.

"Do you really want to get into a pissing match right now?"

"Why the fuck not? There's nothing else to do!"

He turned his back on her. He needed to keep a clear head. He was the strategist. Aidan was great at infiltration. Katherine was the type to run into the middle of a battle, whether real or in a video game, and starting screaming "I'm a target!" while firing wildly.

As Jackson poured the whiskey down the drain, he listened to her pacing the living room floor.

With the liquor gone, he stared at her for a few moments. "You're not helping anyone by freaking out."

"I don't give a shit, Rippner."

He sighed. "Sorry about this, Kat, but I won't let you get us all killed tomorrow."

"Wha—"

Lunging forward, he threw an arm around her neck, pulling her into a headlock. As she went into a practiced move to break free, he clamped down. She struggled as he compressed her airway. The alcohol dulled her reflexes, slowing her reaction time. He waited, counting as she went limp.

Jackson laid her down on the couch, checking her pulse. Her heart continued to beat slow and steady, her body breathing again. He pulled a blanket over her motionless body.

"Sleep. Things will be different tomorrow. You'll see."

* * *

Listening to a will ended up being one of the more boring recitations that Aidan could recall. It didn't help that Marc kept shooting him dirty looks, clearly wanting to get another punch in. And Marc wasn't the only unfriendly face in the crowded study.

He tried to ignore them. This was the last thing he needed to do before earning Fiona's trust. Once he had it, he'd stab her in the back. Turnabout was fair play in his book.

It was the last play. The last act. He couldn't wait to take her life. Payback was sweet. Revenge was even sweeter.

**Author's Notes:**

Jackson's little thoughts on Kat's tendency to run into bad situations is based on something I do when playing video games with my boyfriend. He's a strategist and loves his sniper rifle. I like to run headlong into battle, guns blazing. He sneaks up and kills them with a blow to a head (seriously, he made it through a whole level once without firing more than 10 bullets) while I run screaming at things and blow their heads off. Luckily, he thinks it's cute. Especially when I'm cursing out graphics.

Kat's just the impulsive type.

We're almost done… really. I'm already working on the next chapter… hint, the song is "Addicted to Love" by Florence + the Machine… and we'll find out about Jackson and Lisa's baby. Chapter 25 will be the final showdown and a short epilogue will wrap up loose ends.

Thanks so much for hanging on. You all rock!


	25. Chapter Twentyfour: Closer to the Truth

**Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything recognizable.

**Chapter Twenty-four**

_"The lights are on/But you're not home/Your mind is not your own/Your heart sweats/Your body shakes/Another kiss is what it takes…Whoa, you like to think you're immune to this stuff/Oh yeah/It's closer to the truth to say you can't get enough/You know you're gonna have to face it/You're addicted to love…Your heart beats in double time/Another kiss and you'll be mine…" ~ **Addicted to Love** by Florence + the Machine_

_A Few Months Ago_

Heat. Passion. Sweat. Sex.

Tongues touched, tasting, as they rolled across the sheets. The woman moaned, her head thrown back.

They came together, hips moving in perfect time together. Two halves of a whole.

He kissed down her slender neck, nipping the skin. She cried out, in a mixture of pleasure and pain, her hips bucking against his.

There was a bit of a commotion as sixty pounds of black fur hopped onto the bed, hearing his mistress cry out. Jackson cursed as the dog pawed at him, his teeth barred.

With the mood ruined, Lisa clutched the sheet to her body. "Damon, no! No! Bad dog!"

He turned toward her, his tail drooping. Jackson tried to sit up on his side of the bed. The dog growled low in his throat.

"I swear… I'm going to put your head on a plaque," he muttered, holding still. He got a loud bark for that remark.

Lisa patted the bed by her. Damon shifted forward, lying down by her side. His tail thumped the mattress, his head by her hand. She stroked his head. "Damon, I'm okay. Really. You need to start getting along with Jack. He won't hurt me."

The dog sniffed in Jackson's direction.

Jackson glared at him.

"Damon, get down."

The dog hopped off the bed. He came around to Lisa's other hand, pushing it with his nose.

"Good boy. Now go lay down."

The black dog stretched out on the floor. "Can I get up now?" Jackson asked, stilling lying awkwardly on the bed.

"Mmm… I don't know…"

He pulled her close. "I hate that thing."

Damon growled.

"He's just protective."

"He's a menace."

"Well, now you know to be careful…"

"Hmm, I don't think so." He pulled the sheet off her, her lean body hovering over hers. "I don't feel like being cautious right now."

Lisa giggled as he kissed down her throat to her breasts and the puckered scar. "Jack…"

"No, I'm finishing what I started. I always finish the job."

He made good on his promise. Twice.

* * *

_Present Day_

Jackson buttoned up his shirt as Kat woke on the couch. She groaned.

"Hangover?" he asked, loudly.

She made an obscene gesture with her hand while pulling the blanket over her face. He counted to three before ripping the blanket off.

"Goddamnit, Rippner, I'm sleeping!"

"Not anymore."

He dogged a glass aimed at his face. It shattered against the wall.

"Get up. We leave in five minutes."

* * *

Blood. So much blood.

She tried to relax. Tried to calm her racing heart. She had to, not just for her baby, but for herself and for Jackson. She had to live.

But the blood, she was losing so much blood.

Lisa took a deep breath, fighting the pain and the panic, as the maniac with her knife continued to cut. And cut. Butchering her to get at her child.

Her eyes were heavy, her body on fire from the pain. Incredible pain.

Fiona didn't seem to notice or care. She just hacked deeper, cutting through intestines. Cutting and slicing to get at her baby. Her blood coated the blade, splattered on her clothes, Fiona, and the bed. She kept going, crowing to herself as she located the baby.

At the same time, Lisa blacked out from the pain.

* * *

Behind the wheel of his BMW, Aidan pressed a speed dial. He needed to get away from his old life until he could bring Katherine home. He needed the space. He couldn't keep up the lying on both sides. Not to his best friends and family. Not when it involved people he cared about.

He needed to finish this. To finish Fiona.

The other line rang and rang.

"Pick up, you redheaded bitch. Pick up!" he snarled.

Fiona's phone clicked over to her voicemail. He took a breath before saying, "Hey, Fi… it's done. Everything she had is mine. Robertson signed over the company to me this afternoon. I have a copy of the death certificate for the bank to look over. I can have the accounts turned over by the end of the week. We're rich."

He took a deep breath again. "I'm on my way. See you in a few, babe."

Snapping the phone shut, Aidan dropped the lovesick voice. "Can't wait to slit your throat."

* * *

_Several Years Ago_

He slipped on a t-shirt, glancing at the woman lying in his bed. Her red hair covered her face, a sheet slipping down her backside. He pulled it up higher as she shifted.

Aidan Murphy pulled on his blazer. He had a job to do. A simple pickpocket on a wealthy man. He'd been watching Jim Robertson for the last two weeks. He knew his pattern. It would be a great bonus for both of them. Perhaps he could even get her a ring.

He kissed the top of her head. "Love ya, Fi…" he whispered.

Then, as her breathing stayed deep and even, he walked out of their room, closing the door on their life together. Of course, neither of them knew this was good-bye. Neither of them knew that morning what Jim Robertson was capable of.

* * *

_Present Day_

Dressed in all black, a gun and several knifes strapped to her. The gun rested on her hip, a large military-style knife on the opposite hip, and two smaller knives in the tops of her knee-high boots. Her short hair was wrapped in a scarf, disguising her a bit. Her wounds were covered by her leather jacket, which was zipped up her neck.

"What's with the getup?" Jackson asked, eying her strangely.

"We're going to war aren't we? I wanted to be prepared."

"You look like a superhero or a hooker… I can't quite decide."

She rolled her eyes. "Grow up."

"Well, the kid's still sleeping. I already gave him breakfast and another dose of Benadryl. He'll be fine."

"And Aidan?"

"He's probably on his way."

"Good. Let's go."

"Wait… don't you need a plan?"

"Actually, this time, my only plan is to save Lisa and my child. And kill that obnoxious woman."

"I second that. The killing bit."

"I'm not surprised."

* * *

"Well, hello, beautiful," Fiona cooed, cleaning off the baby. It took a minute or two, especially cleaning her nose and airway.

The baby fussed, screaming.

"That's my girl."

She wrapped the infant in a blanket, cuddling her. She glanced over at the woman on the bed briefly. Her eyes were closed. Judging by the blood loss, Lisa was long gone or almost dead. Either way, she was beyond help.

And now, Fiona would have her family. Her adoring husband. Her son. And her daughter, who already had reddish hair. It would be the way it should've been. The way it was meant to be before Katherine Robertson hooked her claws into Aidan.

She kissed the baby's forehead. "I could call you Katherine, but I don't think I will… I think… I think I'll call you Cassandra. Cassandra and Christopher. My children."

**Author's Notes:**

Psycho bitch is winning. But here comes the calvary.

Jim Robertson – Kat's dad – hired Aidan for his quick fingers, after he caught him picking his pocket. He offered him a chance to learn new skills and improve the ones he already had. He was hired that day and never looked up.

One more chapter and an epilogue! Woo!


	26. Chapter Twentyfive: Could've Had It All

**Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye._

**Chapter Twenty-five**

"_The scars of your love remind me of us/They keep me thinking that we almost had it all/The scars of your love/They leave me breathless/I can't help feeling/We could have had it all…" ~ __**Rolling in the Deep**__ by Adele_

Lisa was vaguely aware of a baby's cries. In the fog of pain and blood loss, she couldn't focus on much. Her energy was flowing away, her life force draining drop by drop as she bled out.

_Jack... save our child... save her..._

A tear slipped down her cheek as the blackness pulled her under once more.

* * *

As Katherine climbed into Jackson's car, a loud woof sounded. She stepped aside as a big ball of black fur hopped inside.

"Oh, hell no..." Jackson muttered.

A low growl resounded, teeth flashing.

"Umm, what is that?"

"That little fur ball is Damon, Leese's demon dog..."

"Damon the dog?" Kat raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"I hate that mutt."

Another growl. "I think it's mutual," Kat said, eyeing the dog. "Is he friendly?"

"I wouldn't know..."

"Aww, are you trying to tell me that there's actually someone who doesn't like you?" Kat mocked in a shocked tone.

"Very funny. And, no, he doesn't count. Plus, he bit me first."

"He's an animal, Jack-ass."

"He bit me!" Jackson protested, glaring at Damon, who growled low in his throat. Kat just petted the dog.

"I'm sure you started it."

Damon laid his head down in Kat's lap in a smug way that only animals can get away with his, his eyes half closed as she scratched his ears.

"Traitor," he hissed in a low whisper.

"I'll go around back and find another way in," Kat muttered as Jackson pulled up a block away from the warehouse.

"You sure?"

"Please, stealth is my thing. You go find Lisa. I've got your back."

"What about Aidan?"

"Does it look like I care?"

Jackson cocked his head at her. "Katherine…"

"Don't start."

He sighed, watching her disappear into the growing darkness as only she could. Her lithe frame and quiet movements made her a natural at stealth. He envied that inborn talent at times, but tonight, he didn't need stealth. Fiona was expecting him.

Damon woofed, hopping out of the car with him, bolting ahead toward the warehouse.

"Damn dog's gonna be the death of me…"

* * *

"Fiona? Fi?"

Aidan itched to pull the gun out from the back of his jeans. He knew surprise had to be on his side. It was the only way to defeat Fiona. She would expect a betrayal from Jackson, but not from him.

"You made it!" Fiona beamed, appearing above him on a little walkaway. The converted warehouse wasn't a cozy place or very safe, but she acting as if it were a palace.

"Of course I did." He forced a smile.

"Our daughter is beautiful."

"I bet she is…"

"Come on… I want you to see her…"

Aidan climbed the stairs, keeping his back away from her. "How are you feeling? Tired?"

"Excited. Blessed."

He kissed her lips, one hand reaching for his gun.

"Mmm, I missed you."

"I didn't."

He pulled the gun, pressing the barrel against Fiona's head. She gasped, her eyes hardening.

"What are you doing?"

"What I should have done a long time ago."

Bang.

* * *

Katherine shimmed through a window, wincing as her stitches tore. Oh well, she'd sew them up again later.

She surveyed the dimly little room, wrinkling her nose at the stale air and musty smell. Her feet made no sound as she crept across the floorboards to the door. There were several doors along the corridor. One of them had to be Lisa. Another had to be her child.

Door to door, she went, checking for locks, traps, and signs of life.

The second-to-last door held a nursery. Inside, a little pink baby lay in a crib. Lisa's child.

Katherine picked up the infant, cradling her close. Her body ached, knowing that she would never get the chance to cuddle her own child. Fiona stole that from her.

"Don't worry, baby, Aunt Katy's got you…"

* * *

Aidan picked himself up from the floor, groaning. Blood dripped down his eye from a cut on his forehead.

Fiona launched herself at him, all nails, limbs, and fury. Her shirt was soaked with her own drying blood, her shoulder leaking blood from his shot. They tangled on the floor, rolling around and around.

"How dare you turn on me?" she hissed.

He grabbed at her hands, trying to keep them away from her. "Fiona, stop it! I don't love you! I don't!"

"Liar!"

She scratched at him like a cat, her fingernails dripping blood. His and hers.

He grabbed her wrists, trying to immobilize her. It didn't work. She had soft, slippery skin thanks to the blood, and she cracked him on the head with a pipe. With a grunt, he hit the hard floor.

* * *

Damon lunged at Fiona, his lips pulled back and his mouth twisted into a snarl. Gone was the playful dog with the thumping tail that greeted Katherine. In his place was the determined protector who got between Jackson and Lisa and chased the former away from his mistress.

His sharp teeth sank into her leg. It wasn't a light bite like the bites Damon gave Jackson – warning bites and 'I-don't-like-you' bites. This was meant to hurt. To draw blood. To maim.

His large paws hit Fiona in her midsection, pushing her off-balance. She howled, swatting at him. "Stupid mutt!"

Damon latched on her arm, biting down. He pulled her across the floor, a steady 'grr' the entire time. He wasn't about to let go, not even as Jackson moved in.

"Shoo, go find Leese! Go find Leese!" he snapped, eying the woman in the middle of destroying his life and his growing family. Jackson hoped Katherine found Lisa already. Ideally, Aidan would treat her with his EMT experience, helping stabilize her, but Kat had some first aid experience.

Damon growled loudly, clearly ignoring him. _Damn stubborn dog…_

Jackson stepped toward Fiona, who was pinned to the floor where Damon held her. In one hand was a wicked long knife.

"You won't find my child, Rippner. I'll let her die before I let you touch her. She's mine! Mine and Aidan's!"

"He doesn't want you. He just said so!" Jackson said.

"He's playing hard to get. He loves our daughter."

"_She's_ my daughter, you psycho bitch!"

Fiona kicked Damon hard in the nose. The dog slipped on the wood floor, whining in pain as he sniffled. His nose bled. She got up, reaching for a weapon.

* * *

"Hey, Fi, forget someone?" Kat's voice joined the fray, along with a loud metallic click as she chambered a round. "Surprise…"

"Don't you ever die?" snarled the Irish woman, her hand closing on a long metal pipe. Blood decorated the edge from where it struck Aidan. She whacked Kat's gun hand, the Glock spinning out of reach. It fired randomly, striking overhead. Above, a chain creaked.

Kat blocked another hit, the metal pipe sending shivers up her arm. It cracked against bone, narrowly missing her head. She kicked out, using her foot, trying to upset Fiona's balance. The two danced around each other.

Another loud creak.

"I don't know what he sees in you… just your money… which is now my money…" Fiona crowed.

Kat cracked her head against hers. "I don't give a shit about the money. You can keep it. But you can't keep my husband or Chris or Lisa's baby. Got that?"

"I should have shot you that night…" Fiona groaned.

"Oh? I wish Aidan had stuck a stake in that black lump of flesh you call a heart long ago."

The pipe swung, narrowly missing Kat's head. They crashed into a door, the pipe imbedded in the wood. She slipped, hitting the floor.

A heavy beam from above broke, hurtling toward the two. It hit hard, part of the beam trapping Katherine on the ground, her body pinned below. She didn't stir, her blood painting the cement floor.

Fiona smirked, reaching for the gun. "Goodnight, Katherine."

* * *

Damon barked, lunging at her. Fiona stumbled back, the gun going off a second time. A loud whimper sounded from Lisa's beloved pet as he sank to the floor. Jackson paused in the doorway, seeing Kat and Damon both down on the ground.

"It's over, Fi. You're finished. Now you have two choices… death or life in the loony bin. Which do you pick? Personally, I'm leaning toward number one…"

She laughed. "You won't do either. Aidan won't let you. Besides, I'm the mother of his children."

"You're a crazy bitch."

"One man's crazy is another man's wife."

* * *

Aidan hissed, his head throbbing. In the haze that clouded his vision, he saw Kat lying lifeless, pinned. He crawled toward her, adrenaline and fear pushing him forward.

"Babe…"

A hand touched his arm. "Lisa's alive… she needs you. Lotta blood…tried to stop it."

"Don't worry… you hurt?"

"Kill the bitch first… help Lisa…"

He kissed her hand. "Okay, just hang in there."

"My gun…"

Aidan looked up. Her Glock rested just out of reach. He grabbed it. "Stay with me, Katy. Okay?"

She nodded.

He stood up slowly, the world tilting sideways. In the distance he could make out Jackson and Fiona tussling together. The wounded female had him pinned against a window.

Bang. A bullet clipped the wall.

Bang. Glass flew.

Bang! Two people tumbled out.

"Jack!" Aidan shouted, rushing to the window. "Jack!"

Splash.

**Author's Notes:**

Okay so finishing this story was a bit harder than anticipated. I hope everyone feels satisfied by the conclusion.


	27. Epilogue: Sweet Sleep, My Dark Angel

**Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye._

**Epilogue**

"_I will wander 'til the end of time, torn away from you/I pull away to face the pain/I close my eyes and drift away/Over the fear that I will never find/A way to heal my soul/And I will wander 'til the end of time/Torn away from you/My heart is broken/Sweet sleep, my dark angel…" ~ __**My Heart Is Broken**__ by Evanescence_

_A month later…_

"I'm so sorry about Jack," Aidan said, looking at the bare stone. The simple name and dates didn't do justice to the man whose life it represented. "He was a good man. A good friend."

"It's not like you killed him."

"No, but I'm the reason he's gone. If I'd never met Fiona—"

"Then I might have strangled him myself," Lisa said softly. "Or Damon might have ripped his throat out. There's no way of knowing. He had a ton of enemies…"

"But you loved him."

"I did. I shouldn't have. But I did. I still do."

"Are you and Amy doing okay?"

She smiled. "Yeah, my dad's been really helpful. He's even thinking about moving up here to be with us. Even Damon seems okay with him. He has a new love of his life. It's almost like Amy's his puppy."

"I'm glad."

"How's Kat doing?"

Aidan stuck his hands in his pockets. "More physical therapy…"

"Will she… walk?"

"It's Kat, so I'm not ruling anything out. But the leg was completely crushed. She'll limp for sure."

Lisa nodded.

"I'm sorry that we couldn't find him…even after all the searching…"

"Aidan, I don't blame you or Kat. You saved my life. Jackson would be glad… he always said anything was worth it if I lived. And our daughter… I don't blame anyone…"

He nodded, staring down at the grave. "If there's anything… you need…"

"I'll let you know. Now go, go home to Kat and Chris. They need you."

"Okay." He gave her a hug. "I'm going. I'll see you this weekend."

* * *

"Goddamn it, Jack."

She slipped on one of his old shirts, sniffing the fabric. She hated him, missed him, and hated herself for missing him. She had a daughter who needed her and a dog recovering from surgery.

There wasn't time for mourning.

Hell, she shouldn't be mourning him. He'd tried to kill her. But he'd loved her.

Lisa curled up in their bed, his pillow clutched to her chest. "Damn you, Jackson… damn you for stealing my heart and leaving me…"

Despite her father, her daughter, and her dog downstairs, she'd never felt more alone in her life.

* * *

_Four years later…_

A little girl crawled into a king-sized bed. At the foot of the bed, blending with the dark covers, lay a scruffy mutt. He nosed the girl affectionately and she scratched his head in response.

"Mommy?" she whispered, crawling next to a slim figure lying on top the covers.

"Yeah, baby?"

"You miss Daddy?"

"Every day," Lisa said, pulling her close. "Every day. He drove me crazy, but I loved him."

Amy shifted closer. "Don't be sad, Mommy…"

"I'm not."

Damon let out a low growl, his fur bristling. He barked, sharp, not leaving the bed and his family.

"Seriously, Damon, it's just me…" a male voice called softly.

Lisa sat up. "Jack?"

"Did ya miss me, Leese?" he asked, stepping into the room. His hair had grown out, the ends reaching his shoulders. His handsome face was scarred, his blue eyes dull. His clothes were cheap, not the designer duds he normally wore.

"What? How?"

"Don't swallow your tongue. It's me. I'm here. I'm real."

She went to him, her hands running across his face. "What happened?"

"Well, a bit of amnesia, honestly. By then, I'd been found by some old enemies. I've been fighting back to you since. I'm sorry it took so damn long."

Curious eyes looked up at him from the bed. "Mommy?"

"Jack… I want you to meet our daughter, Amy. Amy, baby, this is your Daddy."

Damon growled as Jackson stepped forward.

"Hi, Amy… you're very pretty like your mom," Jack said.

Shy, Amy hid in the covers, peeking at him.

"Just like your mom."

Lisa scooped her up. "Remember how we talked about Daddy? And I showed you his picture? This is Daddy, bug. Daddy found us. And Daddy loves you…"

The little girl frowned for a moment before hugging Jackson around his neck. "Don't leave, Daddy! Don't make Mommy sad!"

A tear ran down his cheek. "I'm not leaving. I'm never leaving again…"

Lisa stood up, her arms around Jackson and their daughter, a tight family. Nothing would tear them apart. Never again.

**Author's Notes:**

And the end! Jackson was killing people while he was gone, protecting them. He was laid up in a hospital for a while, but I wanted Lisa to live some time without him and raise her daughter, which I hinted at in the trailer.

All the songs are on the playlist. I'm not planning a sequel. But fellow writer **CloverX11** has a new JacksonxLisa story going that promises to be a great read! Check it out - it's called "The Beginning of the End".

Thanks for hanging in there! You guys rock!

Enter ALL the user names – You're in good company. She's gonna get hers. ;)

Lily94 – I hope I made it worth the wait. ;)


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